Something Happens In My Heart
by Apple Pie
Summary: When two girls fall in love with the same guy... when a little girl has to fulfull her mother's last wish... when two best friends have something happening in their hearts... An IrvineSelphie story.
1. Promise Me

A/N: Well!  Looks like I'm really into this whole writing thing again.  I just finished Timed to Hate, Fated to Love, the simplest of Seifer/Quistis stories ever written, but then WHAM!  Here I am with another piece that I intended to start about a year ago, but then my selfish brother, the little prick, took my computer from me.

Anyhow, now that I've finished up my Tess Almasy revision, I'll be moving on to another couple I particularly like: Irvine and Selphie.  And this isn't your average Irvine/Selphie get-together fic.  Believe you-me, there are some complications in this love story that have a lot to do with a certain blonde ex-instructor…. ^_^

The inspiration for this story came from a Hindi movie called Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which, when translated, really does mean, "something happens in my heart."  It's a GREAT movie. ^_^

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter One: Promise Me

Irvine sat quietly on the beach, watching as the waves tumbled across the shoreline, missing his figure by only a few feet.  Everything around him suddenly seemed to come to life—the ocean, the warm sand, even the late summer air as it whispered through the trees.  The sun was setting, and he relished in its brilliant glory, watching its wavering image in the surface of the ocean he had come to know so well as a boy.

He hadn't noticed how many wondrous things about life he really cared about until a part of it had been taken from him.  The tiny, almost intangible little elements of existence suddenly seemed to shape his entire being.  He had always been so casual in everything he'd done.  

It was different now.  He had taken too much for granted.  There was a difference between nature's beauty and his wife, but at that moment, everything in the world blended into one idea and the only thing that mattered was the fact that he had loved and lived to tell.

Edea's orphanage stood behind him, rebuilt and fit for the happiest family.  In the aftermath of the funeral he found himself coming here for comfort.  The stone house by the ocean always lifted his spirits, no matter what the situation.  As a child, he had found happiness there and now, at twenty, he found serenity.  The tossing waves of the ocean beckoned him into a utopia where everything was peaceful, a world where you never had to say goodbye to your loved ones…

He blinked as a tear fell onto the sand beneath him.  The sunset blurred before his eyes and he swallowed, calmly switching his gaze to the ground where he had drawn lazy circles in the sand.

He hadn't cried for her until now.  And even then, it didn't come pouring down.  He loved her too much to cry for her.  And he had promised her he wouldn't.  She didn't want to leave the world watching her husband cry.  He knew that.

The ocean waves crept on shore only to wash away again, dissolving in the endless essence of the sea.  As he stared into its shimmering depths, another promise he had made with her surfaced in his mind.  He only had one thought.

"Selphie…"

****************************************

"She's running out of time.  We've done all we can."

The Galbadian cast his gaze at the tile floor.

Dr. McCormick backed down, her face portraying sympathy for the new father.  "I won't lie to you, Irvine.  She had severe internal bleeding following the birth—she KNEW there would be complications with her delivery."  She paused, sighing.  "But she loved this baby more than her life."

Irvine looked up, his eyes glassed over from the revelation.  "What are you trying to say?" 

The doctor momentarily glanced down the hallway to his wife's room, her eyes sad and dull.  When she looked back to Irvine, she was struggling to keep her composure.  "She's not going to make it, Irvine."

Down the hallway from them, Rinoa gently pushed open the door to her friend's room.  The blonde sat propped up in bed, her sleeping newborn daughter in her arms.  She looked up at the sound of the door.

"Rinoa," she said, smiling.

The sorceress returned the grin.  "Hey.  I just came to see the new mom," she said, gaze falling over the bundle in Quistis' arms.  "She's beautiful."

"She is," Quistis agreed, stroking her child's cheek with one hand.  Her eyes watered and she had to swallow a quiet sniff.  "I wish I could be there to see her grow up."

Rinoa gently took a seat on the edge of the hospital bed and exhaled unevenly.  So she knew.  Everyone knew at this point.  As happy as they had been about the birth, there was the other side of the coin.  Quistis would have to give her life to her daughter.

"You will see her," Rinoa said, placing a hand on the older woman's arm.  "She'll know you'll always be watching her."

Quistis only closed her eyes and hugged her daughter closer.

"And I'll be the one to tell her that," Rinoa finished, smiling.  Quistis managed to look up, blinking away the oncoming tears.  "Rinoa?"

"Yes?"

"I have something to give you."  Looking to her left, Quistis reached with her hand and pushed aside the vase of flowers on the table.  A sealed white envelope lay on the gleaming surface of the stand.  She handed it slowly to the brunette, her eyes never leaving it. 

Rinoa held out her hand as the packet was given to her.  

"I want my daughter to know who I was… to know that I loved her and her father more than anything," Quistis said, looking down at the infant before returning to Rinoa.  "In this letter, I've written everything I want her to know.  I want you to give this to her on her eighth birthday."

Rinoa blinked.  "Me?"

"Yes."

Rinoa turned the letter over in her hands.  "I… I crumble under pressure," she said, getting a small laugh out of her blond friend.  When they quieted, she spoke again, this time with solemnity.  "I will."

"Promise me."

"… I promise."

A nurse entered through the half-open door, her face acknowledging the two women.  "Sorry, ladies.  The baby needs to be taken back to the nursery for a blood test."

Quistis leaned forward to comply as the nurse stepped forward.  Rinoa tucked the envelope under her arm and stopped her with one hand.  "I got it."

Shrugging, the nurse turned on one heel and led the way out.  Rinoa shifted the baby in her arms and smiled at Quistis.  On her way out the door, she passed Irvine.  He stood just outside the door, watching his daughter.  Rinoa paused, looking up at him.  

"She looks like you," she said softly, smiling.

Irvine swallowed, staring into the blue depths of the newborn's eyes, now that she was awake.  She looked back up at him blankly, her small fist raised.  Rinoa nodded back into the room before slowly following the nurse.  Irvine watched his daughter disappear around the corner before taking a few tentative steps into the room.

He wasn't used to seeing her like this—weak, hopeless, and fighting for her life.  In all the years he had known her, all the days spent together first as children, then fighting partners, and now husband and wife, he never expected to see her like this.  So many times she had fought the fiercest beings on the planet without so much as a scratch and this one time, something so solemn as giving birth, was the event that would take her life.

She looked up at his entrance.  "Irvine…"

He walked the few feet needed to reach her and sat unceremoniously on the edge of her bed.  Consciously, he was aware of her hand taking his in an almost painful grasp.  She was strong for a Sheila.  

"Irvine," she said again, almost pleading.  He didn't look at her—he couldn't look at her.  She brought his hand up against her heart and held it tighter.  "Hey, Irvine," she said with more force.  He shook his head.  She swallowed and stared at his profile.  "… Want to be friends?"

Irvine closed his eyes.

Quistis breathed out and absently wiped her eyes free of moisture.  "… Promise me…" she paused, noticing his face.  His hand in hers gave her the bit of courage needed to continue.  "Promise me you'll never cry."

He opened his eyes, keeping his gaze on the floor.

"Don't cry, Irvy," she said, watching the surprise in his face.  She was sure in the back of his mind he had attached that phrase with someone else.  He shook his head again.  

Quistis slightly coughed… or was it a small sob?  "Besides," she continued, managing to smile.  "You look really bad when you cry."

Irvine couldn't help the small "hmp" that escaped his lips as he smiled.  Even in the darkest light, she managed to shine through.  He had been surprised to find she had a charming sense of humor when you pushed her just right.

"Promise me something else," Quistis said, reaching out with her free hand and resting it on his shoulder.  Vaguely, she felt the tension in his form.  The contact momentarily interrupted her train of thought.  The only thing she wanted was to hold him… and their daughter.  With a determined sigh, she shook her head and turned his cheek so that he faced her.  Even then, his brown eyes were fixed on their clasped hands.

"Promise me…" she began softly, almost inaudibly, "that you'll name our daughter… Selphie?"

Now he looked up, meeting her eyes.  She watched the shock in his face, lost herself in it.  Her determination was clear in her expression and Irvine blinked, slightly shaking his head, not in answer but freeing himself of his rattled thoughts.

"Promise me," she said quickly, before he could say anything to dash her hopes.

His composure broke.  He leaned forward, gently resting his forehead against hers.  "… Don't leave me, Quistis."

She closed her eyes, battling the dull feeling in her body.  "… I'm sorry, Irvine…"  

She felt his hand pull away from hers, only to feel his arm encircle her waist.  She leaned into him, crying softly.  

*******************************

Irvine closed his eyes, still hearing every word as if she were right beside him.  It wasn't so much her death now… just her last wish.  Slowly, his eyes opened and focused again on the orange sunset before him.  The ocean still tossed as the wind picked up, blowing his hair into his eyes.

"Selphie…" he whispered, seeing her as he had two years ago.  The endless depths of her shining emerald eyes as she went farther and farther out of his sight, the wind freeing her hair from its clipped confines—all clear as day in his mind's eye. 

Selphie… the name of his best friend, and now his daughter.

A/N#2: A different side of my writing. ^_^

And PLEASE don't jump to conclusions about what's happened; I PROMISE it gets more interesting.


	2. Late Again

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Two: Late Again, Irvine? 

*************************************

"I knew you'd be here." 

Irvine stilled at the voice.  A moment later, he settled down beside him in the sand and continued to watch the ocean toss.  Silence had become his new friend, regardless of whether or not someone was with him.

"Selphie, huh?"

The name momentarily brought him out of his more solemn thoughts.  "… Selphie," he nodded slowly.

Zell folded his legs Indian style.  "Why do you think she did that?"

The gunslinger shrugged indifferently.  "Quistis was a creative one."

"You know what I meant," the blonde said, almost dryly.

"Yeah, I know," Irvine answered quietly.  "I don't know, maybe because they were really good friends.  It could be anything."

"Are you ever going to tell her?"

"Who?"

"Selphie.  Are you ever going to tell her about her name?"

Irvine raised an eyebrow quickly.  "Haven't thought about it."

"You should," Zell stated, shifting.  "I mean, she was your best friend, wasn't she?"

"… Was," Irvine replied, thinking.  

The blonde beside him became quiet suddenly, leaning back on his hands.  He stared at the disappearing sunset and inclined his head to the side the least bit.  "… I used to like her, you know."

Irvine turned his head swiftly.

"There's something about a girl and nun chucks," Zell followed up with a grin.  Then he shrugged.  "Teenage hormones.  Nothing too special."

Irvine found the energy to laugh.  "Yeah.  Sure."

"Nothing like you and Quistis, you know," Zell continued, becoming serious.  "We've all known her for so long—it's weird to think she's really gone."

Twilight shone in the heavens.  Irvine blinked slowly.  

"But she left you something," the blonde went on as he pushed himself to a standing position.  "Selphie's going to be great," he assured with a small smile.  With one last glance at the sky, Zell turned on one heel and slowly walked away, leaving his friend alone, yet again.

Irvine sighed.  "Yeah…" he told the air quietly, thinking of his new daughter.  "… Great."

********************************************************

Promise me… you'll name our daughter… Selphie 

Rinoa leaned against the railing of the city bridge and watched the people criss-cross the sidewalk of Esthar's Main Street.  At this time of day, the street was crowded with businessmen and women, workers, families, and busybodies rushing to get to wherever it was they were going.  Cars were zooming by beneath her, some coming a bit too close to the curb of the sidewalk and receiving snide remarks from the walking people as a result.  

The sorceress sighed and ran her fingers through her highlighted strands.  She had lost track of the time.  

"Rinoa!"

Turning, she watched as the seven-year-old bounded through the hordes of people.  She finally slowed when she reached Rinoa's figure, grabbing the railing to prevent her from flying right off the bridge.  "S-sorry we're so late…"

The older brunette placed a hand on her hip.  "Late?"

Selphie swallowed, her breaths coming in shallow heaves.  "Yeah, see, those stupid people in the meeting kept talking to Dad—something about a new something or other—and we couldn't even get out the door."

Rinoa smiled sympathetically.  "Oh, I've heard that one a few times."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar brown head of hair on a tall, built man of maybe twenty-eight walk out from behind a group of people.  In one hand, he held a bouquet of flowers.  As soon as he reached the two, he held them out, smile ready.

"Flowers for the lady?"

She gave him The Eyebrow.  "A watch for the gentleman?" she shot back, crossing her arms stubbornly.

His charm fell.  "Okay, I know, I know I have terrible punctuality but--" he stopped, grabbing Rinoa's wrist and turning her watch face toward him.  "I'm only…" he squinted,  "…forty-five minutes late," he finished quietly, averting his gaze.

"Right," she said dryly, snatching her hand away.

"Okay, I'm sorry.  The people at the office just didn't want to let me go," he claimed, spreading his arms wide.

Smirking, Rinoa took the flowers.  "Irvine, you couldn't keep an appointment even if it meant you couldn't flirt anymore."

Selphie covered her smile with one hand. 

"Hey," he said, turning to the little girl.  "What are you laughing at, huh? Huh?" He picked her up easily with one arm as she squealed, laughing and claiming, "Nothing! Nothing!"

Rinoa watched them with a thoughtful smile.  Had she been ten years younger her eyes would have bulged at the sight.  She was older though, and she had come to know the Irvine he was today—loving father.  

"Hey," he said suddenly, bringing Rinoa out of her thoughts.  "We better get going.  The mall closes at six today."

"Yeah," Rinoa agreed, taking Selphie's smaller hand as she climbed out of her father's arms.  The three of them had planned to go shopping for Selphie's birthday present, of which she would get to pick.  The idea was amusing, to say the least.

"Squall said he would meet us at the food court at one," Rinoa said off-handedly as they started walking.

Irvine gave her a sideways glance.  "He finally got you that ring, eh?"

The brunette laughed.  "Yes, but he was going to wait until tonight to show it to me."

"Ooh…" Selphie put in, innocently staring off.

Rinoa squeezed her little hand.  "Hey, missy, don't you believe a sick word your father tells you."

"Oh, so Squall really didn't propose to you in the bathtub--"

"Irvine!" Rinoa screeched, glaring daggers at her long-time friend.

"Hey!  She turns eight tomorrow; she's gotta know some time," he proclaimed, backing away from the embarrassed brunette.

"Oh my god," Rinoa muttered, shaking her head.

Without any further comment, the three crossed the brick-paved walk and started for downtown Esthar.  Selphie looked down and matched her step with Rinoa's.  It was something she liked doing—copying the big girls.  What little girl could disagree with her?  She looked back up as a car honked its horn and zoomed on by.  Someone behind them shouted a reply.

She secretly liked city life.  It was all she had ever known, though her father claimed she spent her first year in the countryside of Galbadia.  Esthar was a suggested residence made by Laguna, Squall's father and President of the well-established city.  She knew that her father had a harder time finding a stable job in the big city, but he made it, nonetheless.  

She had also known Rinoa all her life.  The cheerful brunette was practically a sister to her, not to mention the fact that they lived across the street from each other.  Squall was another person she recognized from early on, as he was always with Rinoa.

Then there was Zell, another good friend of her father's.  He lived across the ocean from her though, in an elite fighting school known as Balamb Garden, the school she was told they all had attended at one time.  She more familiarly knew it as "the army," even if the definition didn't quite fit.  She had met the blond martial artist numerous times in the past and admired his ability to joke around with any subject.  He was just like her in many ways.  

Sighing herself out of her thoughts, she realized she had gotten out of sync with Rinoa's footing.

********************************************

A/N#2: Sadly, folks, that's where I have to end this chapter.  There will be more action in the following chapters.  Am I confusing anybody yet?  That's GOOD!! It'll eventually work out, you'll see. ^_^

Leave me a review. ^_^


	3. You Only Fall In Love Once

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Three: You Only Fall In Love Once

"Isn't she going to be eight tomorrow?" Squall asked as soon as he stepped into the house.  Rinoa filed in behind him with a sigh.  The trip to the mall was tiring… then again, maybe she was just getting older.

"Yes, she is," she answered placidly.

"And…" he continued, watching her for an answer.

"And I'll give her the letter, don't worry," she replied with a small smile.  After a moment, her expression turned serious.  "I told her about it today. She wanted to read it right then."

Her fiancé shrugged.  "Wouldn't you if it was Julia's?"

Rinoa stopped at the mention of her deceased mother.  Squall's hazel eyes betrayed no harsh emotion—just genuine curiosity.  Smiling, she nodded.  He raised a hand and set in gently on her shoulder.  "Did Irvine remember?"

The brunette blinked, straightening.  "You know, I don't think so," she said wondrously, playing the events of the day over in her head.  "He didn't say anything about it."

"Maybe he's just being cool about it," Squall returned, grinning and heading into the kitchen.  Shaking her head, Rinoa flopped onto the couch and stared unseeingly at the ceiling above her head.  A few moments later, she heard Squall's voice from the next room.

"So what do you think it says?"

Her face twisted in thought.  "I don't know," she called back.  "I never got to ask Quistis before she died."

He returned with a glass of water in his hand and leaned casually in the archway connecting the rooms.  "It would have been rude anyway.  It was between her and Selphie."

Rinoa momentarily stopped, staring blankly at the ceiling.  "Yeah…" she said softly.  "Selphie…"

Squall curiously watched her demeanor change.  She sat up, bringing her feet up underneath her.  "Do you ever think about where she is now?"

He raised an eyebrow.  "… Sometimes.  Strange, I even missed hearing her say 'booyaka' in the morning."

Rinoa smiled, her eyes glancing down, when a thought struck her.  "Selphie…" she said slowly, thinking.  "… She doesn't know who she's named after, does she?"

Squall blinked and took a drink from his cup.  "Never thought about it that way."

"Me either," Rinoa replied, frowning.  "Until just now."

Her fiancé shrugged.  "Well, maybe Quistis will tell her that in the letter."

"… Maybe."

A few moments of silence passed as they both wandered in their own thoughts.  Rinoa slowly draped her arms around her knees and rested her chin on them with a slight frown.  It was times like these she wished Quistis were alive and raising her daughter alongside her husband.  She had so much to give the little girl and yet, Hyne worked in mysterious ways.  Irvine was an excellent single parent but Rinoa saw the look in his daughter's eyes every time someone mentioned how wonderful their own mother was.  She wished she could have talked about a woman in that light.

"I'm going to go drop off the letter," Rinoa announced suddenly, rising from the cushion.  "Be back in a little bit."

Squall merely nodded and watched as she bounded up the stairs to their bedroom.  In the top drawer of her dresser, she flipped through various envelopes of junk mail and personal notes before finding Quistis' letter, which was a bit yellowed with age, but sealed and intact.  She fished it out and descended downstairs to find her soon-to-be husband calmly watching TV.  She glanced at him one last time before sliding her feet into her shoes and walking out into the night.

A few moments later she reached Irvine's front door and knocked twice with her fist, waiting patiently for the knob to turn.  In a matter of seconds, the door opened and she saw his familiar face peep through.

"Hey," he said, a bit surprised.

"Hi," she returned, coming through the doorway when he waved her in.  She turned around, holding out the letter.  "I just came by to drop off Quistis' birthday present."

Irvine blinked as his eye caught the whiteness in Rinoa's hand.  After a moment's realization, he laughed and scratched his head.  "Wow… I can't believe I'd actually forgotten about that."

Rinoa smiled.

"Has it really been eight years?" he asked quietly, almost to himself, as he took the letter and filed into the living room.  Rinoa followed him, her hands clasped in front of her.  "Seems like yesterday," she agreed, nodding.

Irvine set the envelope down on the coffee table among the other presents that had been dropped off during the day.  His Selphie sure was a popular girl.  The boxes ranged in size from large to ring box-like and had to be moved to the floor in order to make room for more.  Rinoa absently glanced up to the second floor.  

"She's sleeping already?" she asked, checking her watch.  It was only nine—hardly a child's bedtime in the summer.

"Walked through the front door and straight into bed," Irvine confirmed, smiling.

Rinoa adjusted the collar of her button-down shirt.  "Mind if I go say goodnight?"

"Feel free."

Without further question, the brunette turned on one heel and ascended the stairs leading to Selphie's bedroom.  She nudged the door ajar with one hand and found the younger brunette sitting on her bed, a book in her lap.  She looked up at Rinoa's entrance.

"Hey," she said, in much the same tone as her father when he had answered the door.

"Just dropped off your mom's letter," Rinoa informed, coming in the room.

"Really?" the girl's face lit.  In the space of a second she had sprung off the bed and was making a mad dash for the door.  Rinoa intercepted her small figure and picked her up easily.

"Hey, you're not supposed to read it until tomorrow, you hear?" she said, tapping the youngster on the nose.

Selphie pouted.  "But I wanna read it NOW."

Rinoa gave her a look.  "Honey, I've been wanting to read it for eight years."

All she received from the soon-to-be eight-year-old was a raised eyebrow.  Gently, Rinoa set her down on her feet.  "Your mother wanted you to read it when you turned eight.  Now she wouldn't be very happy if you didn't follow her last wish, would she?"

Slowly, the small brunette shook her head.

Rinoa sympathized.  Stooping down to the girl's level, she cleared a section of brown hair from her young face.  "Not that I think she's disappointed in you."

Selphie's eyes seemed to glimmer the least bit.

"No, I think she's the proudest mom in Heaven," she finished, earning a smile from Selphie.  After a moment's observation, she tilted her head at the girl.  "Does your dad ever tell you that you have her eyes?"

Eyebrows raised, the child shook her head.

Rinoa looked off.  "Figures.  Well, you do.  Quistis had blue eyes just like you."

"Really?" Selphie said, genuinely unaware of the fact until a moment before.  Rinoa nodded.

"Blue eyes, but dark eyelashes even though she was blonde.  She was very beautiful; that's why your daddy married her."  Rinoa stopped, noticing the look in the child's eyes.  "Well, of course, he loved her too—that's a given."

Very faintly, they heard the sound of a basketball being dribbled on pavement and Rinoa's eyes flickered to the window.  Selphie followed her gaze.  "Dad likes playing basketball at night.  He says it's…"

Rinoa waited, watching her.

"Philosophical," Selphie finished, pleased that she had remembered such a big word.

Rinoa raised an eyebrow critically.  "I see," she said gravely, looking out the window.  "Come on—into bed.  Tomorrow's a big day."

After pulling the covers over the girl, Rinoa reached over and turned out the lamp.  She leaned over and pressed a light kiss on her forehead.  "Sleep tight."  

She straightened from her crouch, still looking out the window.  Down below was the fairly large backyard and she watched as Irvine expertly went for a lay up.  Turning away, she escaped the darkness of Selphie's room and trudged downstairs.  The kitchen was a dark and empty as she walked through it, stepping around a puddle of cold moonlight on the floor.  She pushed open the screen door.

"Hey Irvine?" she said, coming out into the night air.  "Have you spoken to Edea lately?" 

He caught the orange basketball with both hands and turned to face her.  "Yeah, the woman who raised me?  That Edea?" he asked playfully.

"One in the same," Rinoa answered, walking toward the brick ledge that separated them from the neighbor's property.  She hopped onto it, propping her leg up.  "She called me yesterday."

"No kidding," he said, shooting from a fair distance.  The ball swished through the hoop.

"Just catching up on old times.  You know—when we all still were in Garden and young and naive," she continued, watching him make another shot.

"Okay," was his answer.

Rinoa prepared herself.  "And then she wanted to know how you were."

He briefly turned a shot her a smile.  "All the ladies want to know that."  Following, he tossed the ball over his head and watched it fall through the metal rim and mesh net.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Rinoa smirked.  "She wanted you to know that she didn't forget Selphie's birthday and the package should arrive either Thursday or Friday."

"Okay.  I'll thank her," he answered, shooting what would have been a three pointer had he been on a marked court.

Rinoa tilted her head.  "She also wanted you to know that she went and put some flowers on Quistis' grave--"

The Galbadian gunslinger noticeably stiffened, though his face stayed neutral, even passive.

"… Since Selphie's birthday was the day she died," Rinoa finished slowly, watching his every move.

Slowly, he began dribbling again, eyes downcast.  "Mm hm," he nodded indifferently.

Rinoa almost stopped, clearly seeing the pain he still carried inside over the death of his wife.  After eight years, he hid it well under his sarcastic self-praising comments and happy times with his daughter, but in the end, one just had to say her name and he became quiet.  The constant thump of the basketball against the pavement echoed loudly in both their ears.

Regardless, Rinoa continued quietly.  "She just wanted me to tell you that."

Irvine nodded, catching the ball.  He then looked up to find Rinoa biting her lip.  With a small smile, he continued dribbling.  "What are you getting at, Rin?" 

"What?" she said innocently, eyes widening in fake surprise.

Irvine shook his head.  They had been neighbors for seven years now and had been friends for ten years and counting.  He could tell when she was trying to cover something.  She had a lilt to her voice.  

"I know you didn't come out here just because Matron sent a few regards through you," he said, shooting again… and missing.

Rinoa sighed, watching him retrieve the ball.  Her voice dropped a few keys as she turned serious.  "It's been eight years, Irvine.  I know how much you loved Quistis--"

"Love," he interrupted, dribbling still.

Rinoa looked down sheepishly.  "Love," she corrected.  She looked back up.  "But it's been so long.  You're a different person now.  We all are."

He didn't answer—just aimed and shot the ball again, watching as it rebounded off the rim.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" she said, leaning forward and dangling her legs.

Irvine stopped, turned, and slowly made his way over to the brick ledge.  He hopped on beside his friend and sighed, staring up at the twinkling stars.  "Yes, I get what you're saying."

Rinoa squinted thoughtfully.

"I should move on, raise my daughter happily, and put on a smile for the world," he continued, bringing his gaze down.  "… It's what Quistis would want me to do."

"So you've heard it before.  It still won't have any impact if I say it," Rinoa said, looking straight ahead and sighing.  "… I just want you to be happy."

He turned to look at her.  "I am happy, Rinoa."

She took one last breath of courage.  "… So you won't marry again?"

Irvine blinked, looking off.  Slowly, he stood and threw the basketball from hand to hand.  "Rin, we live once, die once…" he sighed, holding the ball still.  "And fall in love once."

Rinoa looked down at her hands.  Irvine turned around to face her with a small smile.  "We don't do these things again."

She stood, determined to strike a cord with him.  "You are fine," she said plainly, solemnly, "but what about Selphie?"

Irvine paused at the mention.  "… What about her?" he asked casually, dribbling the ball again.

"You don't think she needs a mother?"

The question hung thickly in the silence as Irvine momentarily thought of agreeing.  He wasn't blind—he knew his daughter was happy with just Dad around but there was something about a mother that a child just couldn't not miss or wish they had.  He knew the feeling firsthand but he had been fortunate enough to be under the care of Matron.  His little Selphie had never called anyone 'Mom' in her life… and he somehow felt he was the blame for it.  His pride won him over in the end.  "… She's fine…"

Rinoa noticed the roughness in his voice and was ready to sub salt in it when he interrupted her.

"She's got something even I don't have."

The brunette squinted.

"… Her mother's letter."

*********************************************

Five….

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

Beep… Beep… Beep

Sighing, Selphie turned over in her sleep and pulled the covers higher over her shoulder.

Beep… Beep… Beep

Slowly, dissonantly, she came to realization.  Recognizing the sound of her alarm clock, her eyes flew open with a small gasp.  Wildly, she reached for the snooze button with her left arm and pounded her fist on the large, rectangular key, silencing the beeps.  Sighing, she noticed the numbers in glowing green.

Midnight.  Now there was a reason why she set her alarm clock for midnight… she searched her memory for it.

"It's tomorrow, Mom," she said quietly.  Smiling, she threw back her blanket and hopped out of bed and to her open bedroom door.  Quickly, she dashed out into the hallway, down the stairs and dimmed on the light in the living room.  Her father was a light sleeper—she had to learn how to be quiet.  Determined, she made her way over to the coffee table and pushed aside various boxes and gifts from her friends.  She passed by a bag… a box… some cards… some candies.

There.  In purple marker, she read the number 8 scrawled on the front of an envelope, separate from every other gift on the table.  Gasping, she snatched it off the table and ripped open the seal, forgetting the fact that her father might hear.  At that moment, nothing else mattered.  The mother she never knew had written her a letter before she had passed away!  Hyne help those who tried to stand in her way now.

Sighing happily, she slid the folded sheets of paper out of the envelope and tossed the packet somewhere over her shoulder.  Smiling, she began to read…

**********************************************************

A/N#2: Hm… sort of a cliffhanger.  ^_^  And I've recently noticed something about my writing—do I seem like an openly religious person?  Somehow I always find myself referring to God, or the Bible or drawing parallels in the Final Fantasy VIII world (like Hyne, for example) and it's kinda weird because I'm really not religious at all, considering I'm atheist.  I write a lot of references to religion because I just like studying about the different kinds.  ^_^

Random thought.  Pay no heed to it if you're confused—I'm just weird that way.  ^_^


	4. Her

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Four: Her

_Happy birthday Selphie, You're eight years old today.  And I'll bet you look just like your father.  The same brown hair, the same silly smile…_

_You're a big girl today, Selphie.  It is today, on your eighth birthday that I believe you are old enough to understand what I have to tell you.  Today, you will finally know the story of your father, me, and… Selphie._

********************************************

"Would you mind getting me some coffee?"

"HEY!  The copier's out of ink!"

"Would someone PLEASE check the boxes to make sure the instructors are getting their grade reports?"

Rinoa dodged a few bodies as various office personnel zoomed back and forth while trying to complete whatever task they had been given.  There was chatter everywhere, as well as harsh orders, and the sound of coffee makers, fax machines, ringing phones, and automated voice pages filled the office to the point of insanity.  Warily, the General's daughter glanced at the chaotic jumble that was the main office and almost laughed.  Almost.

She collided with a shoulder and reflexively held up a hand in defense.  When she focused on the woman, her face lit.  "Oh, it's you."

Xu turned.  "Well, hey Rinoa, what brings you here?

"Scheduling nonsense," the brunette answered.  She motioned vaguely with one arm.  "So is it always like this up here?"

The Chinese girl looked around.  "Oh, just Monday mornings.  Everybody's rushing to finish up what they procrastinated on last Friday."

"I see," Rinoa returned, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah.  Just a month after Ultimecia and everyone's back to being the cold business people they were hired for," Xu said sadly, shaking her head.  She gave the younger girl a pat on the shoulder.  "I've got to get to Cid.  I'll see ya around."

"Yeah, see ya," Rinoa replied, watching her take off in one direction.  

Far down below her in the Lobby sat a waiting Selphie.  She had fifteen minutes to kill before classes started and the circular main way was the focus of many students as they talked and laughed in their little groups in various places.  Sighing, the Trabian swung her legs from her position on the stair rail and waited for Cid to reach her.  The distinguished headmaster of Balamb Garden was walking calmly through the lobby walkways, greeting a student here and there.  Selphie watched with a small smile as he pointed to a male student, catching the words "tuck in that shirt" through the chatter in the air.

"Now, Fauna, you know that females are restricted from taking personal handbags into class with them," Cid informed, turning to the petite girl.  "And Feroze?" he said, looking to the teenager.  "Cut you hair already."

Getting closer… leaning forward, Selphie took in a deep breath.

"HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!" she screeched in his ear.

"AH!!  Oh, Selphie—always the scaring me," he said, turning and watching as the much shorter teenager grabbed his wrist, a knit band in her other hand.  "Now what's this all about?"

"It's National Friendship Day, Sir.  This band says you're not only my principal now, but you're my friend too!" she said lightly, tying the string.  When she received bewildered silence from him, her shoulders slumped.  "It's a young people thing," she assured.  Then she brightened again.  "Besides!  I haven't been able to stop smiling for the last month!"

Cid shook his head and began ascending the stairs leading to the elevator.  "Yes well, Selphie, we all have been happy for the last month.  It seems the Sorceress Wars have finally come to an end."

"And you know, I just can't get it through my head yet—I saved the entire world four weeks ago," Selphie continued, staring off into space with awe.  Cid turned and gave her an odd look.

"With the help of five other people, of course," she finished, grinning.  "Practically my brothers and sisters, considering our past, right?"

"Right," he agreed, pushing the elevator button.  "I must say, it will take a while for the hype to die down.  Ultimecia was a memorable experience."

"Hm," Selphie agreed, watching the elevator doors smoothly slide open.  "Well!  Hope you have a nice day."

Cid smiled.  "You too, Selphie."

Smiling, the petite teenager turned and skipped back down the steps, catching a few words of conversation as she descended.

"Irvine!  Are you serious?!"

"As a heart attack.  I'm the only girl who he's tied a friendship band on!"

"That is SOOO cool!"

Selphie slowed her step, eyes darting to her left at the chatting girls.  After hearing those few key sentences, she shifted her textbooks in her arms and knowingly rolled her eyes, skipping down the last few steps.  Now where was that player best friend of hers?

*****************************************

"You know, Rena…"

"Yes, Irvine?"

"When I tie this friendship band, I want you to know that you're the only girl I've tied a bracelet on, and it's going to stay that way."

"Really, Irvine?"

"Really, Rena."

Selphie rounded the corner and came across the main hallway of classes.  Students dotted the hall in their groups, some standing, some sitting, some walking.  She expertly ignored them and eyed the crowd for any sign of a certain Galbadian gunslinger.  After a few moments, she found him, his arm casually slung around a blonde.  He had his back to her and she contemplated jumping on him for the pleasure of seeing his new flirt mate glare daggers but something else caught her attention.  

There were, in his back pocket, an entire handful of woven bracelets, all different colors.  In one ear, she caught a few words of his…

"Only girl… stay… way…"

There wasn't a doubt in her mind he would be saying THAT sentence a lot today.  Slowly, with the grace of a cat, she sauntered up behind him and reached for the bundle of bands.

"Oh Irvine," she said sweetly, looking over his shoulder.  She caught the attention of both of them as she waved the bracelets back and forth in the air.  Casually, she leaned one arm on his shoulder.  "These fell out of your pocket," she informed him dryly, smirking.

The blonde, "Rena," Selphie assumed her name was, shrugged irritably out of his grasp.  "You cheater!" she gasped out.  

'As if you're really shocked,' Selphie momentarily thought with a snort

"You liar!" Rena continued, wrenching the bracelet from her wrist and hurling it at the taller male.

"Hey!  Heeey… come on, Tanya--" Irvine tried desperately as he watched the younger girl furiously stomp away.  "No… wait, Lena!  No… um… what's your name?" 

"Rena," Selphie answered, dropping the bracelets in his hand with a smile.

Irvine shrugged her off his shoulder with a look.  "Ugh, go away," he said, motioning to Rena's disappearing form.  "Wasted my fifteen minutes."

Selphie shook her head.  She would have been angry a few weeks ago but now she just became annoyed.  Irvine's failed attempt at wooing the female population of Garden was once a touchy subject but she saw little significance in it now.  She knew he never really liked any of them.

"Irvine," she started, shifting her weight to one foot.  "When are you going to stop chasing after these STUPID girls?"

"Hey, I don't chase after them," he declared, pointing at her with the bracelets in his hand.  "They just follow me."

The brunette rolled her eyes.  "Whatever.  Look, why can't you just find a girl with beauty and brains?"

Irvine smiled and placed an arm around his best friend's shoulders.  "Beauty and brains, eh?"

"Yeah," she said, shrugging.  "You chase after all these easy-on-the-eyes.  Newsflash, Irvine: with those girls," she raised a hand and poked him in the forehead with her index finger, "the lights aren't all on upstairs."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Since they're 'following' you and all," she continued, grinning.

Irvine hissed and placed his free hand on his heart.  "That hurts, Sel."

"I'm sure," she retorted.

He gave her a thoughtful look.  "Beauty and brains," he repeated, considering.  "Now tell me where I can find such a creature."

*****************************************

Quistis raised a hand and slowly pulled off her glasses, shaking out her long hair in the process.  She hardly had time to put her blond locks up in their regular style now that she was back to being a SeeD and taking classes like every other student.  Every morning for the last week she found herself rushing to get coffee, only to have to stand in line and wait for the instructors to clear out first.  Then she would have to race to her first class while trying to dodge undergraduates as they scurried through the halls.  Now, adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag, she wormed her way through the groups of students in the circular main lobby toward the classrooms.  ~*~

"You gotta understand, Selphie," Irvine said, juggling two bracelets in one hand.  "I'm only seventeen years old.   I'm just passing my time with these girls.  They're…" he paused, catching a woven white band, "… temporary fun."

"I just haven't found her yet," he finished as he began to toss the bands up again.

Selphie reached out and intercepted one.  "Her?" 

Irvine chuckled.  "Her."  ~*~

Quistis walked her way past a line of male students, all probably one or two years older than she.  They leaned nonchalantly against a section of lockers with their arms crossed as the watched the people pass.  Rolling her eyes, the blonde looked away from them when she passed.  Still, she heard a whistle.  ~*~

"She's beautiful, she's funny… and she won't mind the fact that I'm just a flirty guy," Irvine finished, grinning. 

Selphie threw a hand up.  "No girl is like that."

He tapped her playfully on the nose.  "No one except her."

"Uh huh," Selphie said critically, eyeing his index finger in front of her nose.

Irvine turned with Selphie following him to their first class.  "And," he continued, placing a hand on her shoulder.  "I'm looking for a girl who… makes something happen in my heart."

The Trabian paused in her step with the sudden realization that he was somewhat serious.  "… Makes what happen?"

Irvine continued walking and responded with a small shrug.  "Just makes something happen."

Selphie hugged her textbooks closer.  "Makes what happen?" she asked again, this time with genuine curiosity.

Irvine sighed and turned to face her.  "… Something happens in my heart.  You wouldn't understand."

She raised an eyebrow.

"The only person that would is her," he informed, continuing his walk

"Her, her, her," Selphie wisped, emphasizing each word with a flick of her hand.  With slightly more serious thoughtfulness, she propped her elbow on his shoulder again.  "So what are you going to do once you find her?"

Her best friend gave her a genuine smile and shied away from the light pressure of her arm.  "I…" he said, backing away slightly, "am going to kneel down in front of her--"

Selphie rolled her eyes as he actually dropped to one knee.

"—Spread my arms and say, 'Hey!  Whoever you are, I love you."  With that, he rose, turned and all but collided with someone possessing familiar blond hair.

She gasped as the figure she walked by suddenly turned and crashed straight into her.  For a moment, the world seemed to move in slow motion.  Irvine watched in wonder as the woman in front of him steadied herself from the collision, her hand gracefully reaching up to push back a lock of hair.  She seemed to smile at him.  The way her eyes lit up and her face just brightened when she saw him…

Before the sharp shooter was fully in touch with his senses he blurted, "I love you."

Quistis squinted at him.  "Excuse me?"

Her voice brought him back to Earth.  Irvine blinked and finally focused in on the face of his childhood sister figure.  "Oh, sorry, Quistis, I blanked out there for a second."

She nodded with a knowing smile.  "I'll bet."

"Hey Quisty," Selphie offered from behind Irvine.  Following, she slightly pushed him over so she could see.

"Hey," she replied.  "Are you guys just waiting around until classes?"

"Like everyone else on the hall, yeah," Irvine answered, grinning.

"Irvine was just telling me about the FABULOUS girl he met the other night… in his dreams," Selphie said, elbowing the much taller male.  Quistis looked curiously from one to the other.  She never knew when they were just friends or on the path to something more… she sighed.  The topic never amused her too much.

"Oh, I see," she responded, silently laughing at the way Irvine was practically burning a hole in Selphie's head with his eyes.

"You're killing me here, Selphie," he said with a dejected tone.

"Well, nice to know we're all getting along," Rinoa commented, coming up behind Quistis.  A series of 'Hey Rinoa's were heard and the brunette returned them evenly.  "So how's everyone this morning?"

"Apparently some of us are still dreaming," Quistis answered, nodding at Irvine.  The gunfighter held up his hands in defeat.

"What?  A guy can't wish for the right girl?" he said defensively.

"With you, Irvine, you're wishing for as many as possible," Rinoa said, walking on past him with a smile.  "I've gotta get to class; I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," the three chorused as they watched their sorceress friend disappear into the crowd of students.

"Alas, I just like a lot of comfort," Irvine said, bringing the two lass' attention back to him.  Quistis good-naturedly shook her head while Selphie just stared.  Was it not just one minute ago he was telling her about his real dream of one girl making him happy?  One who could make something happen in his heart, according to him.  Maybe he wanted to keep his reputation as a womanizer.  Hyne knows the Garden population wouldn't believe him if he told them he was just searching for the right person… like everyone else.

But he had told her.  Well, they were best friends—that was understandable.  Frowning, Selphie shifted footing with her thoughts.

"Irvine, you're a ladies man.  I agree with Rinoa—highly doubting you'll ever wish for just one girl," Quistis said, smiling faintly.  He knew she was just teasing but oddly enough, she believed it to be the truth.

Irvine sighed.  "… Wanna join the list?" he grinned at her.

"Ugh," the blonde groaned, walking off towards her own first class of the day.

When he looked back to her, Selphie shrugged innocently.  Irvine smiled.  "She's beauty with a side of ice," he said, shaking his head.  Momentarily glancing down at his hands, he noticed the abundance of woven bracelets still in his palm.  Shooting a quick grin at Selphie, he turned and went after the blonde.

"Hey Quistis, wait up!" he called, running up.

The ex-instructor turned at the sound of her name to see Irvine behind her, a white bracelet in his hand.  He held it out to her with a twinkle in his eyes.  

"Happy Friendship Day," he said deeply.

Quistis raised an eyebrow.  "… We grew up together, Irvine.  Friendship is a far thought."  She looked past him with a wave and smile at Selphie before walking away.

Irvine lowered the bracelet in defeat, sighing.  After a few moments, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"So…" Selphie said with a mocking smile.  "Something happen?" and she patted the middle of his chest where his heart was.

Irvine straightened and motioned in the direction Quistis had disappeared in.  "Quisty?  Not my type."

"And why not?" the brunette pressed on playfully.

"Too modern," was his answer.  "She's got the independent woman thing in spades.  I like someone who needs to lean on me a little."

Selphie rolled her eyes.  "At this rate, you'll never find her."

He wrapped an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders.  "So what?  I can just marry you."

"Me!  Never!" she exclaimed, worming out of his grasp and power walking to their first class.  He followed after her, nudging her in the ribs.  

"Yes, you, Selphie dearest--"

"Forget it, Irvine!"

"And hey, no one would marry you anyway."

"Oh shut up!" she said, laughing.

*********************************************

"Ah yes, the famous annual Historic Balamb Festival.  What a treat," Zell commented airily, none too amused with his surroundings.

It was Saturday night, the first night of festivities in Balamb.  Its annual historic fair had been a tradition for over thirty years now and the current year's atmosphere outshone even the greatest amusement park because it closely followed the defeat of Ultimecia.  That fact alone made everyone a little happier.

Selphie casually glanced around at the booths lined shoulder to shoulder.  She could smell the fried foods mixed with the stench of cigarettes and almost turned up the contents of her stomach.  Not that she didn't love a good festival—just the smell.

"Hey, can we get out of food street, please?" she suggested, nodding toward the other streets around the block with their own booths.

"I've been wanting to see the crafts anyway," Quistis agreed.  She hooked an arm through Selphie's and walked a bit faster, passing both Squall and Rinoa.  "Come on, Sel, they'll catch up."

Happily, the brunette complied as their remaining friends watched the pair head off toward Main Street.  Selphie sighed into the night air, watching her breath come into view.  Once they reached the street of craft booths, she couldn't help but stare impressively at the different works.  In one stand hung what seemed to be thousands of necklaces, all with the same distinct style but different in appearance, obviously.  Momentarily she stopped and fingered one with a purple crystal pendant. 

In another booth she noticed an arrangement of dolls.  Looking closer, she saw only one earring on each of them, more specifically the left ear.

"Must be a trademark," Quistis said, coming up beside her.  "They look so real."

Selphie nodded, her eyes traveling down the line of sitting dolls.  They were no more than three feet in height but the way their embroidered gowns fit them perfectly and their faces portrayed the most realistic of expressions, they did strikingly resemble actual little girls.

The pair moved on, every now and then pointing to an interesting display.  Music forever vibrated through the air but not to the point where one couldn't have a conversation with another.  Eventually they reached the end of the block and took a turn up the stone steps leading to the courthouse.  Booths were also set up in lines accordingly on the grass.  The light was dimmer there, under the trees and the setting was a perfect mixture of hanging lanterns and moonlight.

"I feel like some dippin' dots," Quistis announced suddenly, nodding to the specific booth.  Selphie reached around and pulled her shoulder bag forward, unzipping the front pocket.

"Your treat?" she asked, fishing out Quistis' wallet that she had been safekeeping.

"Why not?" the blonde said, grabbing the small leather fold and heading off.  Selphie followed her with a smile.

After ordering two cups of strawberry and mint the two picked the nearby stone ledge running along the sidewalk on which to sit.  The overhanging branches of the trees were just barely out of reach had one of them made the attempt to touch them.

Quistis squinted as she noticed a rainbow arrangement of woven bracelets tied on her friend's left wrist.  "Friendship Day was Monday, Sel."

The brunette looked down to her wrist at the statement.  "Oh—these were just Irvine's leftovers," she answered lightly, examining the bands.  "Hyne knows he gave out enough to the entire female population of Garden on Monday with the same phony sentence."

Rather than laughing, Quistis tilted her head and frowned a little.  "Hmp…" was her only reply.

"What?" Selphie asked, curious.

The blonde shrugged.  "… Well, for a while everybody thought you two had something going on."

"Irvine?  Please—he wouldn't commit if it meant his life," Selphie wisped, waving Quistis' statement off with her hand.  "So he flirted with me—big deal, he does that with every girl."

"We got really close, none the less," she continued, scooping the little balls of ice cream in her cup.  "You know, I kind of put him in a deeper light because he was the only one who remembered the orphanage."  Her voice dropped noticeably.  Quistis nodded, understanding what only an orphan could.  Selphie continued after a moment's pause.  "He's my best friend.  I know too many of his techniques to be anything more."

Quistis smiled.  "Makes sense."

"It does," Selphie agreed lightly, nodding.  "Besides, he's still searching for her."

In comfortable silence they turned their attention back to their ice cream and happily dug in.

******************************************

A/N#2: Weep.  I just don't have it anymore, do I?  I remember when I first came to ff.net in September of 2000, I would get twenty reviews per chapter for each of my stories, no doubt.  And now look.  :( 

Sigh.  I'll just go write the next chapter now. 


	5. Want to be Friends?

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Five: Want to be Friends?

Quistis squinted at the schedule card in her hand and frowned.  There, her first class—the code ended with a three.  She racked her memory for the class coding she memorized as an instructor.  Threes were the ranked third in the academic ladder.  What was she doing there then?

Sighing, she balled the hard paper in her fist and hurled it across the room.  She knew something was wrong ever since the first day she stepped foot in that classroom.  Everyone was coincidentally one year younger than she and summoning had been the weekly lesson.  It had been far too easy for the established blonde.  Determined, she stalked off for the office, a small glare in her blue eyes.

"Mrs. Preston?" she asked as soon as she reached the front desk.  Xu silently pointed a finger in the left direction and watched as the blonde nodded shortly and took a turn down the hall toward her counselor's office.

"Ah!  Quistis!  What brings you here?" the elderly lady said, looking up from her work when she came in the door.

"I came because I think there's been a mistake in my class placement," she replied blandly, but politely.  She had come to know many of the office personnel in her last year as an instructor.  They knew she meant business when she said it.

"Oh?" the woman said, her eyes widening behind her glasses.  "What seems to be the problem?"

"My first class has the course code 6743," she started, "and I remember classes ending with threes being third level."

"That's right."

"And I am not third level," she deadpanned politely.

"Oh, I see," was the thoughtful answer.  She rolled her chair over to her computer and clicked around a bit before coming up to the correct page.  She waved Quistis over.  "Mm hm, you are in third level—that's a problem."  The elder paused a moment.  "Now, let's see…. SeeD first rank should land you in advanced placement combat politics."

Quistis nodded woodenly.

"Okay then."  A few clicks here and there and a few keys typed later, she was printing out a new card for the ex-instructor.  Quistis took it gratefully.

*************************************

"Irvine, it's Deborah Kerr," Selphie proclaimed, coming into the class first, her head turning to look over her shoulder.

"It's pronounced like 'car' though, Sel," he said back, nodding briefly at Instructor Wensley.  She only raised an eyebrow at him.  

"Whatever," Selphie said, waving him off.  Her attention soon turned to the opposite side of the room as a blonde waved to her.  "Hey, Tai!"

Shrugging, Irvine walked on up to the second level of the classroom, putting his books down on his desk.  Class had yet to start—five minutes and counting.  Frowning, he plopped down in his seat and stared unseeingly at the far wall.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept hearing Selphie's voice as she talked to her friend—she always seemed to register in the back of his mind at one point or another.

But all traces of the brunette faded when his eye caught sight of the woman suddenly coming through the door.  There were plenty of other people in the room, some even coming in before and behind her, but his attention was oddly focused this morning.

Quistis clutched the single textbook closer as she looked casually around the room for a familiar face.  From the second row, she noticed a set of brown eyes that had sent many hearts to their seven hells.  Smirking none too nicely, he glanced briefly at the seat beside him.

Exhaling deeply, Quistis was the least bit discouraged to find that every other person in the room she either didn't recognize or didn't associate with.  She liked Irvine just fine—sometimes he did seem a bit over his head on the girls, however.  Come to think of it, she couldn't remember one time when they had simply talked.  Shaking her head a little, she settled in the seat beside him, her eyes traveling the length of the wall opposing his direction.  No words were spoken, though it was clear who had won the upper hand.

"I'm sorry to announce that it is…" Instructor Wensley began, stepping up to the teaching podium, "… eight o'clock."

Multiple groans were heard around the room as everyone jumped into a seat.  Quistis momentarily squinted at the informality but kept her silence.

"Hey, you're in my seat."

The blonde swiveled her head to find a familiar brunette standing beside her, her eyebrows raised.  "Oh, I'm sorry, Selphie--"

"Nah, it's okay," she said, waving a hand.  "Hey Ped," she nodded to her left, "scoot."

Surprisingly enough, the male student shrugged and moved to the next seat.  Truth be told, it didn't matter where one sat in the room anyhow, considering how it was elevated and everyone had a perfect view.  

Quistis blinked a few times before turning back around in her seat and facing the front.  Irvine stayed silent beside her.

"Today is a good day, hopefully for everyone.  I'd like to start by saying, welcome, Quistis," Instructor Wensley said, eyeing the blonde.

"Yeah, yeah," every SeeD said in unison, their brains well knowledgeable of the ex-instructor.  It was in good nature, though.  Quistis shifted uncomfortably.

"And now that that's established, I'd like to start with a lecture—in other words, start typing frantically on those laptops."  Saying this, she turned from the podium and shuffled through a few papers on her desk.  Quistis leaned over toward Irvine.

"Is she always this laidback?" she whispered.

"Nine times out of ten," was the quiet answer.

The blonde smiled.  She had been hoping her schedule change was for the better—it was being proven true so far.  

"Oh!  And one more thing," Instructor Wensley said, turning back to her class.  In her right hand was an unfolded letter with obvious sparkly green ink looping across the blue lines.  "I thought these stopped in high school."

The class laughed shortly, too preoccupied with knowing whom the letter-writer was.  When notes were found, Instructor Wensley was famous for posting them on the bulletin board in the main office for the entire world to see and make jokes about.  Unlikely?  Maybe so.  But it was true.

"And the only problem is that I don't have a signature on the bottom, therefore, for this time around, I couldn't embarrass the culprit."

Everyone looked at everyone else.

The older woman shook her head and walked briskly to the trashcan, crinkling the paper as she went.  "You kids these days—you all say the same thing.  Think you know about love when something just suddenly goes wrong with the relationship and you're trying to let them down gently.  The cycle never stops, but it's funny the way it starts so young."

"Love's overrated," Dylan Anderson voiced suddenly, his pen repeatedly tapping the surface of his desk.  His classmates laughed quietly.

Instructor Wensley straightened and raised an eyebrow at him.  "Is that so, Mr. Anderson?"

"I mean, it goes 'girl, movies, hotel' nowadays," he answered, smirking.  This was the one class where one could be casual—every student used that to their advantage.  More laughs were heard around the room.  Instructor Wensley, Kate, her first name was, simply smiled and approached the podium.

"I shouldn't expect much else from you young lads," she said, eyes traveling over the males in the room.  "It's psychological that men have a harder time committing…" her voice died when she reached his slouched figure, his eyes downcast and his entire posture portraying thoughtfulness.  He had been very quiet since the beginning of class, when usually he would have joined in the remarks made by Mr. Anderson on any other morning.  "I suppose you would know tons about that, wouldn't you, Mr. Kinneas?"

Thirty SeeDs snickered at the cowboy, every last one of them knowing full well the womanizer he was and even claimed to be quite proudly.  Truth be told, half the female population of the classroom had some sort of relationship with him one time or another.  Quistis almost chortled.  Almost.  Selphie remained silent.

Irvine lifted his eyes, expression casual, even dreamy.  "I know what love is, teacher," he said, smiling faintly.

Kate leaned both arms on the podium, her head tilted in amusement and surprise.  Her smile was skeptical, for the added bonus of being an instructor who students could befriend was the fact that teenage gossip made its way to her ears more than twice a day.  And she knew of the infamous Galbadian gunslinger and his many… _conquests_.

"Enlighten me," she said, knowing the answer would be worth wasting a few minutes of class for.

Irvine slowly capped his pen and sat up straighter in his seat.  "Love…" he paused for effect, "… is friendship."

Something in the back of her mind seemed to flicker—a small, tiny insignificant nothing pushed away in the corner of her thoughts suddenly surfaced and she lifted her head to look at her best friend in silent question.  

"If she can't be my best friend," Irvine went on, even motioning as he spoke, "I can't love her.  I have to be that close to her already, or else it isn't worth it.  And even if she couldn't love me back, at least we'd be friends enough to know that it isn't worth ruining that relationship over."

Quistis stared at him.

"It's that simple," Irvine said, shrugging.  "Love is friendship."  He smiled at his teacher.  "That good enough for you, Instructor?"

Kate, who had propped her chin up in her hand at some point, squinted at him, her facial expression even more surprised than the previous moment's.  "… Yeah…" she answered eventually, her figure straightening.  "That's good," she said shortly, eyes laughing.  "All right, class.  We left off yesterday talking about search techniques…"

Selphie stared at the back of Irvine's head, her thoughts suddenly swimming in her head in all different directions.  What she had first passed off as a witty way to answer a question and defend his honor had turned out to be solemnly true.  The discussion about _her _came to recollection.  He had all these things inside that head of his and he was still the way he was?  Things about finding the one right person who made something happen in his heart and defining love as friendship before any other typical answer such as passion, lust, and romance…  The brunette shook her head a little, her brow creasing with bewilderment.  The guy surely had a lot of hidden opinions.

Quistis only faced forward, a faint, very faint, smile on her face.

*****************************************************

The hall was always crowded after the first class.  It was the one time during the day, other than lunch, that students took a break, ten minutes allowed, to be exact.  While many formed their various circles of friends and stood annoyingly in the way, freshmen also plowed others over in vain attempt to be on time their first year in the higher levels going into SeeD.  A certain blonde fell victim to them that day.

"Hyne dammit," Quistis grit out as a redheaded undergraduate met her shoulder-to-shoulder, unintentionally taking the button on her jacket with him.  As he passed, the small pin caught, dragging her sleeve with him and the blonde watched helplessly as her notebook slipped from the crook of her elbow.  A moment later, the binder crashed to the ground and white papers scattered in the small area around her figure.  

The redhead breezed on by, not a care in the world in his thoughts.

Sighing deeply, Quistis rebuttoned the cuff of her SeeD jacket and counted slowly to three before dropping down to her knees to gather the mess of whiteness strewn across the floor.  For a few suspending moments, bodies passed her left and right in the hallway, all of them looking and yet none of them stopping to help. 

She had a light grasp on the last packet of papers when a much larger, harder hand landed atop hers, instantly warming her cold hands.  Her hands were always cold.  Slowly, she raised her blue eyes up from the hand, to the arm, to the shoulder, and finally to the face of—

"So…" Irvine said, handing her the papers.  In his other, he held a bracelet.  Oddly enough, the same white yarn-woven bracelet he had offered her last Monday.  Now he held it out to her again.  "Want to be friends?"

Quistis blindly stuffed the papers in her notebook, her eyes fixated on the figure before her.  A small smile appeared on her face, not kind, not sarcastic… a little bit of both.  A minute passed, or five.  It seemed like he was more than interested to know her answer.

"… Okay," he said finally, breaking the heavy silence.  He turned to stand from his crouch, but a small pressure on the bracelet in his hand pulled him back.  He turned back around and happily let go the bracelet as Quistis took it fully in her hand.  She was smiling again, this time, genuinely.  

**********************************************

A/N: I'm confusing people, I know.  I said that this was an Irvine/Selphie story in the summary and it is—it totally and completely is.  But there are other things that will lead to them being together and don't assume them.  ^_^

Also, I have people wanting to know what significance the first Selphie has in the story (Irvine's daughter, the eight-year-old) and you'll just have to wait for that too.  This plotline is just so… developed and intricate that right now in the story, you're supposed to be a little confused, but I PROMISE that it all fits together in the end.  I PROMISE. ^_^


	6. Children of the Orphanage

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Six: Children of the Orphanage

"Abby's over on the swings, and I think Justin went inside to the toy room. Did you want to look after someone else for a change?"

Quistis shifted footing, her hands tucked loosely in the pocket of her jeans. "Well, I don't think they'd like me very much," she said with a small laugh.

The daycare director, Tahna, looked at her critically. "If any child would run and hide from you, it would be Satan's little spawns. Honestly, Quistis, you don't know your own vibrancy."

"I wasn't aware I had any," answered the young blonde.

The older woman waved a hand. "And much too modest about it too. The kids love you here; you know that. Kait over there is easy to get along with," she motioned with her free arm, for her other presently held a sleeping one-year-old. "She's a quiet one, but she'll like you, no doubt."

"Thanks," Quistis smiled and began a slow walk toward the small figure crouching in the sand box. She looked five or so, with short brown hair that flipped out at the ends. Her yellow dress was light and summery, perfect for the airy temperature of the midday sun. She seemed a bit too interested in watching the sands slip through her small hands as she simultaneously picked other handfuls of it. Quistis smiled a little and crouched down in front of her at eye level.

"Hi."

The girl's emerald eyes widened the least bit when she looked up. "… Hi," she said eventually, very quietly, before returning to the sand in her hands.

Quistis almost sighed. "… So what's your name?"

The little brown head of hair remained staring at the ground. "… Kait," was the almost inaudible answer.

"I'm Quistis. I get to take care of you today," the blonde smiled.

The little girl in front of her looked up momentarily, letting the sand pile back into the box. "I'm not bad."

"I believe that," Quistis said shortly, tilting her head. The innocent in front of her seemed the type to linger in corners by herself, playing with her dolls or, in this case, sand. Seeming to notice the condition of her hands, Quistis quickly reached for them.

"Don't you worry about getting dirty?" she said.

Kait shrugged indifferently. "I'll wash it off."

Now the blonde frowned. Children these days; either too much of a personality or too less of a sense of identity. There was no happy medium. This Kait seemed the latter of the two. Briefly, Quistis raised her head and surveyed her surroundings. The playground of the large church was home to a busload of children who came every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for two hours after school. Quistis herself volunteered every Wednesday for the self satisfaction of calling herself a good Samaritan. One wouldn't think she even liked children with her usual cool exterior, but it was something she began to take notice of after the final battle. She was an orphan, forced to go though childhood without a biological mother and father. Children, little as they had to do with her when she switched over to mercenary mode, were the reason behind everything at some point. She knew that now.

Which was why she took the time to stop by the Balamb Church on Wednesdays. Daycare was something she was willing to try.

Yet now, looking over the surrounding courtyard of the church, she wondered if there was anything of interest beyond the playground for herself and her new friend. While the latter seemed perfectly content watching the sand slip through her fingers, Quistis would have hated to see the child's mother frown at the sight.

Just past the slides grew a fresh patch of flowers; blue, pink, purple, and a few smidgens of red peeked through the green grass. Quistis turned to Kait. "Do you like picking flowers?"

The little girl looked up. She bit her lip and eventually nodded. Smiling, Quistis held out her hand, regardless of the dirt stains she knew she would be receiving once Kait took her hand. "Let's pick some then. They're right over there."

"My mom likes to garden," the child spoke suddenly, letting Quistis lead her to the flower patch. "But she grows fruits."

"You can give her some flowers then," was the blonde's answer. They reached the flowers and settled down to pluck the prettier blossoms.

Briefly, Quistis was reminded of the time when she and Selphie would kneel in the flower fields outside Matron's orphanage and pick flowers for her. They only had each other at the orphanage, considering the company of four boys; one too arrogant, one too childish, one too annoyingly introverted, and one too preoccupied with stealing Selphie away from her every now and then.

Come to think of it, Kait resembled her quite closely. The brown hair, the green eyes… even the yellow dress.

"Who are you picking them for?" Kait's voice knocked her out of her thoughts. Quistis blinked a few times, looking at the assortment of flowers in her hand she had randomly picked while remembering.

"Good question," she said, smiling back at the little girl who was slowly becoming a better conversationalist.

"What's about your mom?"

The question was innocent enough, but Quistis found herself pausing in saddened thought. "My mom isn't living anymore," she answered eventually. It sounded better than saying 'dead.'

Kait's eyes grew round. "Oh…" she resumed her flower picking. "But you could put them on her grave."

The idea, simple and common as it was, had never occurred to Quistis. The thought that her parents even had a grave never crossed her mind. She suddenly felt very neglective to her long-dead mother and father. "I suppose I could," she answered slowly, wishing she knew exactly where they were.

The little girl smiled a little before picking a purple orchid and adding it to the bouquet in her hand.

A short distance away, in the open space of the playground, six boys, all no older than eight, jumped on the lone figure in the middle of their circle, their childish war cries attracting the attention of the entire daycare. In unison, both Quistis and Kait turned their heads at the commotion. 

"All right, all right, you win!!" was the muffled male voice heard from underneath the mountain of boys piled atop him. 

Gleefully, they retreated and their victim stood to his full height of 6'1".

Quistis blinked once, twice.

Somewhat reluctantly, the familiar figure took the black cowboy hat off his head and handed it to the nearest boy, a child with flaxen blond hair that was in need of a cut. The six of them ran off, waving the hat like a prize. Quistis watched as Tahna, the director, approached their previous watcher. She said a few words to him, none of them within hearing distance of Quistis, but they were most likely instructions.

Kait slid a glance over to her watcher for the day. "Know him?" she asked off-handedly, looking back to the pair.

Quistis recoiled. Children caught on a little faster these days, didn't they? "You could say that," she answered evenly, eyes never leaving him. Motioning for Kait to follow her, she stood and made her way back to the playground. The girl obeyed without question.

"You had me thinking they were all fighting each other," Tahna was saying, her good-natured voice laughing at the same time. "Was it really just about the hat?"

"Well, you know—there's a cowboy in all of us," Irvine answered, smiling. He turned to walk back into the church, but then collided with a familiar blonde.

"Quistis!"

"Irvine," she acknowledged coolly.

"You two know each other?" Tahna asked, coming around to observe the two. The brunette looked to the blonde in thought.

"You could say that," Irvine said shortly. His surprise returned rather rapidly. "But, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," was yet another one of her cool statements. "Are you _volunteering_ here?"

"He usually comes in on Mondays, but he told me he had something come up this week and made it up today," Tahna answered for him, looking to Quistis. "If I had known you two knew each other I would have scheduled you both for the same days."

"Well, well, Quisty, isn't it just a small world?" Irvine mused, his sarcasm getting the better of him.

"How long have you been volunteering?" Quistis went on, ignoring his comment.

"Since Ultimecia."

"Who's that?" Kait perked up suddenly, her gaze looking many feet up to Irvine's towering height.

The three adults smiled a little as Quistis placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "No one you need to know about."

The little brunette pouted a little but whatever her gut emotion, it passed in a moment's second. Irvine looked from the five-year-old to Quistis for a moment before clearing his throat. "Well! I'll be in the toy room."

And with a slight nod of the head, he turned and disappeared in the swarm of children crowding the playground. Quistis shook her head a little. Irvine Kinneas was volunteering at a daycare. The world had to be ending somewhere. Tahna had also gone off to deal with her group of children, leaving the two girls alone again. Presently, Quistis felt a tug at her denim skirt.

"Quistis?"

"Yes?"

"Can I go use the bathroom?"

The ex-instructor smiled. "You don't to ask, just tell."

"Oh."

And with that, the two set off for the double door entrance to the church. The deafening sound of the old-fashioned latches clicking out of place echoed through the empty sanctuary at their entry and caught Irvine's attention as to who had followed him in. 

Reaching the first pew, Quistis looked up to see the would-be cowboy waiting patiently near the front of the sanctuary for them. Encouragingly, she gave Kait a little nudge. "Go on ahead; I'll be there in a minute."

Nodding, the child ran off happily down the lengthy aisle, a few petals falling from the bouquet still in her hand. She passed Irvine with a smile before disappearing through the side door leading to the Sunday school rooms and the like. After the door closed behind her with some finality, Quistis turned her attention back to her long-time friend, once forgotten. Nervously, though for what reason she would never know, she began a slow walk up the aisle toward Irvine. The flowers she had picked were still in her hands, and she suddenly found herself staring at them under his gaze. By Hyne, what had happened to her in the last three days every time she got around him?

By the time she reached him, he was leaning against the first pew, arms crossed, head tilted—the classical position for the term "amused." 

"So you tried daycare after saving the world," he said.

Quistis shrugged, sat gently in the second pew. "I figured it was time for new things."

Irvine propped one foot up on the cushioned row of seat before him. "Was it because of me? What I remembered?"

Quistis tilted her head a little. "To be direct, yeah. At first I didn't know what to make of the five of us meeting again, ten years later, going up against our own surrogate mom."

"Now you know why I took forever to shoot at the Deling Parade," Irvine threw in, his smile never fading.

His companion shifted. "Yeah…"

An uneasy silence passed between them as they both looked around in the sanctuary, their eyes traveling over the stain-glass windows and the amazing height at which the ceiling hovered above their heads. The church was itself was old-fashioned, but still impressive in structure. 

"Do you go at five?" Quistis asked suddenly, her voice resonating wondrously in the church.

"Yep."

She rose, standing across the aisle from him. "Do you have a few gil on you? I wanted to get a soda."

"I am the bank of all my friends," Irvine answered good-naturedly, his foot coming off the seat. "I have all the gil one would ever need for random afternoon snacking."

Quistis raised an eyebrow and made a mental note to resort to him after classes each day. "You do?" she challenged.

"… I do."

The air had become very serious rather abruptly. Both teenagers shifted a little, their imaginations suddenly realizing the irony of the situation. It was funny if they thought hard enough.

"I better go," Quistis dared voice, turning and walking briskly to the door which Kait had disappeared through merely minutes before. She left Irvine standing there, looking after her.

*******************************************************

A/N: You're really starting to doubt me on that Irvine/Selphie pairing, aren't ya? Well! Patience is a virtue. ^_^

Review!!


	7. Basketball and a Dance

A/N: I had a lot of people (and not just reviewers) ask how the scene at the end of chapter six was ironic. Well! Just ruin my creative energy why don't you?! J/K. ^_^ But I was kind of hoping I could write it vaguely enough and yet obviously enough to get the point across… but I failed. Sigh.

Go back and read it again if you need to. And if you STILL don't get it, email me.

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Seven: Basketball and a Dance

"Basketball?" 

"Basketball."

Selphie squinted one eye and looked to the heavens. "May I remind you that you're white?" she snickered.

Irvine's smile faded into a frown. "I'm also over six feet tall. Come on, Sel, you've seen me play; you know I'm good."

"Do I now?" she teased.

He slung an arm around her shoulders and walked leisurely toward the picnic area. "Selphie, my most trusted friend, there was a time when you believed in me."

"That has obviously passed," she finished for him, shrugging out from under his arm. "Why would you want to play against people you already know are better?"

"Experience. Fun. So I won't be bored talking to you," Irvine said, grinning. Jauntily, he walked on ahead of her, whistling as he went.

The petite brunette placed a hand at her hip. "I am NOT boring," she declared almost poutedly. "Who else would give you company everyday at lunch?"

"May I remind you I'm a ladies man?" he answered back. She ran to catch up with him.

"Do you really think I'm boring?" she caught his arm.

With a subtle smile, Irvine faced her. His best friend could be so cute sometimes. He placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed apologetically. "…Yeah."

Making a face, she slapped his hand away and continued walking. 

"Hey Selphie, wait!" he called, laughing. "I was just kidding, jeez, you're so sensitive."

She looked up at him. "And you're so sorry about it," was her dry answer.

He pulled her into a clumsy hug. "I'm sorry, Sel. There, happy?"

For a moment, it seemed as if the situation had changed from good natured humor to somewhat sedate personal boundary violation. She had hugged Irvine countless times, on some occasions a little more than that, and yet she felt a little… different. He was so much taller, for one, and it was easier for him to hold her tightly. A little baffled, the brunette shifted a little, her back arching as she turned her head to look at him.

"Irvine?"

"Hmm?"

"Oxygen would be a good thing."

Grinning, the would-be cowboy let her go. "So are you coming to the game or not?"

She started walking again, her booted feet clicking against the concrete of the Garden walkway. "To see you get beat like the basketball player you aren't?" She smiled. "You can count on it."

Irvine shouldered her lightly. "Okay, Miss High and Mighty, at least I've got more coordination than the likes of you," he mused, baiting her into what he knew was going to be an interesting situation.

"Try me," she shot back, getting annoyed all over again.

Irvine raised an eyebrow.

*******************************************

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this," he said.

Selphie laughed at her position at half-court. "What? Too afraid that your measly best friend at 5'1" and a half is going to win you in a game of basketball?"

Irvine approached her, laughing inwardly at the circumstances. Here they were, using their hour lunch to battle in the court for the sake of pride. Selphie had shed her SeeD jacket and was now only wearing the white button up blouse and tie that went underneath. Her boots were placed on the bleachers next to Irvine's, proper basketball shoes now on both their feet.

Irvine shrugged off his own SeeD jacket. "Gonna challenge me in a skirt?"

"I'm that talented," she answered, smiling. 

Disregarding her statement, Irvine shook his head with a small smile and reached for her collar. Confused, Selphie followed his hand with her eyes, not expecting his next movement. Almost expertly, he loosened the red tie at her throat and pulled lightly until it completely unknotted and fell from around her neck. Still not saying a word, he unbuttoned the first button of her shirt and patted the lower part of her collar comfortably in place.

"Better?" he offered.

Selphie nodded mutely, briefly disturbed by the fact that he felt comfortable enough to reach that close to _there_. The thought was knocked out of her head when he pocketed her tie and bounced the orange basketball at her. "Check."

She bounced it back.

Now, granted, Selphie was short, but in no way uncoordinated. Her height wasn't the winning factor in getting the ball in the hoop, but her speed outran that of Irvine's, earning her a few points.

"I do believe that's two-zero, best friend," she said mockingly, taking the ball.

"I'll get you back."

~*~

"You know, this is the last C I can afford," Rinoa groaned as she flipped the pages of her paper. Sitting beside her, Quistis looked down at her own paper and the impending A written in red ink at the top right corner. Before the brunette's eyes could reach it, the blonde snatched it out of view and stuffed it in her textbook. 

"Me too," she said quickly.

Rinoa frowned at her, knowing full well that it was impossible for Quistis to make anything lower than an B on any paper, or any ASSIGNMENT, for that matter. Together, they stood from their seats and filed out of the classroom behind the other students who had already bee-lined it out of there for lunch. 

"You're a terrible liar," the sorceress said eventually.

"Only when it doesn't matter," Quistis answered swiftly.

They walked a short distance in silence, their shoulders bumping every now and then. The circular lobby was filled with SeeDs and students when they reached their destination. Drawing herself up a little straighter, Rinoa shifted her books and cleared her throat.

"If I remember correctly," she started, catching Quistis' attention, "National Friendship Day was, oh…" she shrugged, "last, last Monday?"

Quistis blinked a few times, clearly not understanding. "And…" 

"And yet there's still a yarn bracelet on your wrist," Rinoa finished.

Quistis brought her arm out from under her notebook and came across a white woven softness still tied proudly around her left wrist beside her watch. "Oh, that…" she said. "I got it from Irvine."

Rinoa's chocolate eyes took in the intention. "Is there something I'm missing between you two?" she asked a little too evilly.

"No, you're missing absolutely nothing."

"Oh come on, Quistis--"

"He's practically like a brother to me, Rinoa," Quistis assured, laughing inwardly at the idea of her and Irvine.

The sorceress entered the cafeteria ahead of her friend. "Whatever you say," she said lightly, though clearly not believing the blonde. "I've gotta jet after I buy something; my next class meets in the lab."

Quistis watched as she took off in the other direction, leaving her quite the loner. But then again, what else was new? She had made it through eighteen years of solitude just fine. It was something she had grown accustomed to and therefore mastered at a young age. Being alone had become her preference over the years. 

She was halfway through her salad when she remembered her laptop back in her dorm room. Her next class was a lecture class, and the last thing she needed or wanted was to be reduced to scribbling notes for 90 minutes. With a poke of her plastic fork in the remaining greens in front of her, she stood and brushed herself off a little.

Momentarily adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag, she set out past the main lobby and cut through the Quad toward her room. The clamorous, distinct sound of a basketball being dribbled on Garden's first floor gym caught her attention the closer she came and made her pause mid-stride. 

Curious, she rounded the corner opposing the hallway leading to her room and peered in the gym's open double doors. Alone out in the court were two figures, very familiar. Interested, Quistis loosely crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, watching them.

"You're cheating!" Selphie proclaimed when Irvine passed her for a lay-up. She watched as the ball fell swiftly into the hoop, never once touching the metal rim. A frown marred her features.

"How am I cheating?" Irvine spread his arms wide.

"You were traveling," she informed him dryly, dribbling to the three-point line. Seemingly from nowhere, an arm circled her waist, causing her to loose her grip on the ball. She pounded on his arm. "Irvine, let go!!"

He complied, but only to chase after the basketball that was calmly rolling away from them. He barely managed to lay his hand on it before Selphie kicked it away towards the bleachers. 

"Okay, screw the rules," Irvine grunted, tackling his best friend on her run for the ball. She cried out when he pinned her beneath him, her back pushing against the hard floor of the gym.

Quistis tilted her head, reaching up with her free hand to push her glasses down as she looked over the lenses in controlled surprise.

"Yeah, should have known you liked it on top," Selphie snorted, getting enough of a laugh out of her best friend to push him off. He retreated a few feet from her, conspicuously looking away as she sat up, breathing hard. "See? You _were_ cheating," she declared, bringing herself to her feet.

Irvine massaged his temple, looking down, then away toward the bleachers... and back down again. She didn't notice his sudden silence until she was on both feet again.

"What?" she barked irritably.

A ghost of a smile flashed across Irvine's face. "Sel, either seduce me or button your shirt."

Consciously looking down, Selphie finally seemed to notice that the second button of her shirt had come undone, revealing a goodly portion of cleavage. She gasped, turning away. "Pervert!"

Irvine finally looked up. "Hey! I gave you fair warning!" he called after her, grinning like an idiot.

"Yeah, whatever," she retorted, fumbling with the button. "Doesn't mean you didn't see anything." While inwardly she was quite disturbed, she could see the humor in their situation. Irvine seemed to be wallowing in it.

Quistis shifted against the door frame, silent as ever.

"So! I believe the final score was 21-19, best friend," Irvine voiced proudly, shrugging back into his SeeD jacket. 

Selphie looked over, still trying to button her shirt. "According to the three-point bonus you added to your score," she remarked sarcastically, but he didn't seem to be listening anymore. Instead, he walked over to her and took her shirt folds from her hands. "Hey!--"

"Would you quit acting like I'm gonna rape you? Geez…" Irvine shook his head, buttoning her shirt with ease. 

Quistis turned and walked away. 

"I'm just a little…" Selphie paused, searching her vocabulary for the right answer. "… _rattled_," she said with some venom, glaring at him with her emerald stare.

"Yeah," Irvine agreed, sighing. "I mean, who knew you had _that_ underneath all--"

"You're sick," Selphie interrupted, stifling a laugh and crossing her arms protectively over her chest. With a turn on her heel, she walked briskly toward the door, knowing very well he could catch up with her even if she had a ten minute head start. Sure enough, she felt the heat from his body come up beside her before she had walked ten feet.

"We should do this everyday," he said, grinning.

Now she laughed, elbowing him. He had a way of making everything seem so laid back and carefree in the world. She could never stay mad at him for too long, though it wasn't so much anger that had disturbed her. She wouldn't admit the other feeling she got from knowing he could be silenced by her.

She coughed harshly. "Aren't we eating out tonight with the gang?"

Beside her, Irvine slumped a little. "I forgot about it. My research paper's due tomorrow though."

"Work on it afterward," Selphie replied, checking her watch. "I'll see you there, okay? Class starts in five minutes." With a passing wave, she took off in one direction, leaving him staring after her. Then, with a small smile and shake of his head, Irvine stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued slowly toward his next class.

**************************************************

It was one of those artsy places, no doubt. On the corner of one of Balamb's activity street, it donned the name, "The Evening Muse" in medieval scrawl. Decorating its windows and entrance were stars painted against a midnight blue and even a moon dangled off the end of the name. Quistis looked up briefly at the décor before reaching for the brass handles and pushing through the entrance.

Inside, a jazz band was just beginning to fill the room with music. Nearly every seat in the establishment was filled, not that the dining area was too large in the first place. She ventured to guess that one Garden classroom was slightly larger than the entire restaurant, though not nearly as interesting to look upon. The tables were laid with a dark blue cloth which, oddly enough, had moons and stars on it that must have inspired the outside ornamentation. To her immediate right was a bar, stools for sitting, glasses shining in the low light, upside down above the counter.

It was easy to pick out her dining crew. They occupied a rectangular table fairly close to the small stage, and they were obviously looking at her too. She saw Selphie wave her on over just as a new song floated through the air.

"Fashionably late," Rinoa commented as soon as Quistis had settled down in the seat saved for her. The blonde laughed a little. 

"Yeah," she agreed slowly, raising her eyebrows. She had put on a skirt for the occasion, black, simple, and stopping at her knees, along with a cream colored cardigan. For her, it wasn't anything terribly extreme, though she had always noticed how much more casually both Rinoa and Selphie dressed in comparison to her. Even now, as she glanced at them, one at the end of table, and one across from her, they wore only jeans with ribbed sweaters.

"All right then! Let's eat," Zell said, rubbing his hands together and earning a smile from his friends around the table. 

~*~

In the back of her mind she registered that couples had begun to litter the small wooden dance floor in front of the stage, but she hadn't thought much of it until she noticed Irvine staring across the table at her. Consciously, she set her fork down in her plate with a quiet clang. "What?" she said softly enough so that other conversations at the table wouldn't divert their attention.

Irvine shrugged, looking back toward the dance floor. Quistis followed his gaze almost unbelievingly. 

"That is," he said finally, "if you're through with dessert."

The answer was obvious, considering the small, circular plate in front of her was void of anything edible, save for the few crumbs of peanut butter pie left. She looked around the table; Squall, Rinoa, and Zell were engaged in conversation about any number of subjects and Selphie had left for the restroom a few minutes before.

She hadn't danced much at the Garden banquets; with as much prestige as someone like herself in an equally prestigious institution, she showed for primarily the reason everyone else did—fabrication. Now, with all the act and politeness gone, Irvine was a preferred partner over the man sitting at the bar who had been staring at her for an ungodly number of minutes.

"Sure," she said after a moment's pause, and instantly a genuine smile spread across Irvine's face. She took his offered hand and approached the dance floor.

"Have I ever mentioned that I can't dance?" Quistis finally blurted, standing opposite her partner.

"It's a _slow_ dance, Quistis. Doesn't take too much talent," he answered, motioning her closer with his hand. Accordingly, he clasped her right hand in his left and braced his other behind her on her shoulder blade. It wasn't stiff in any way, just a casual positioning. They began a slow rhythm to the jazz music filling their ears. Many couples dotted the dance floor now that the night was settling in and dessert was being taken up. In a small sea of bodies, they felt somewhat more comfortable.

"Why can't Garden parties be like this?" Quistis mused softly, catching Irvine's attention.

"Stuffy officials," he said, smiling. "Anything unorganized is a no-go. Even waltzes aren't enough."

The shorter blonde in front of him nodded mutely, seeming to relax more as the dance continued. Drawing herself up a little more, she figured she could at least mention one subject they had in common.

"So are you volunteering next week?" she looked up at him.

His face twisted in thought. "Might be able to get in Tuesday and Thursday. Why, looking forward to seeing me?"

The arrogance just never left. Quistis shook her head mockingly. "Maybe seeing the kids, but you? I see you everyday."

Irvine nodded knowingly. "Ah yeah… Kait was getting along real well with you."

"Actually, she was really quiet in the beginning, but it got better," Quistis shifted against him a little. "Then we started picking flowers like Selphie and I used to at the orphanage. Remember?"

"… Somewhat…" he looked down momentarily. "Selphie still has this thing with flowers. We'll be eating lunch outside on the picnic tables, and she'll just get up and pluck some random flower out of the bushes."

Quistis nodded. "Must be a childhood thing. We liked picking them for Matron, but... Kait mentioned something I never even thought of before." As she spoke, her words became slower and more drawn out. Should she tell him about it? She even half-expected him to ask it out of her, but when he simply looked at her for some kind of an answer, she knew she had to say something.

"She said… well, first she asked me who I was picking flowers for. When she assumed my mom, I told her she wasn't living anymore… but she told me I could put them on her grave."

She saw the same look pass on Irvine's face as her own the week before. With the common ground of being orphans, there had always been a sort of blind acceptance of the fact that Mommy and Daddy were… dead. Or, as Selphie liked to mock it every now and then, that "they've gone on a long trip and won't be coming back." Whatever the reason, the idea of having their parents' lives remembered and marked with so much as a grave in a small graveyard was completely alien… and yet not, after one single sentence had been suggested from a little girl who was just starting out in life.

"… Yeah," Irvine agreed eventually, blinking a little with realization.

"Never really thought of it that way, did you?" Quistis said. A quiet sigh escaped her. "I wish I knew if they really had a grave. Even then I can't automatically assume that they're buried together. I just never realized I knew absolutely _nothing_ about them…" she stopped, realizing she was digging a hole that she had worked so long to cover and mend. 

At her ear, Irvine smiled. "Welcome to the Club."

Quistis quirked an eyebrow at him. "Are you kidding? I'm practically the President."

A silent moment passed as the band played on in the background, their song coming to an end a few seconds later. The two pulled slowly away from each other, mildly surprised at the rather pleasant dance. 

Irvine looked at her, head tilted, eyes thoughtful. "We'd all like to know more about our parents."

And with a sort of silent understanding, they returned to the table side by side, the mood very solemn suddenly. Their little party was already up out of their seats and retrieving their jackets from the backs of their chairs. They joined in the mass movement toward the counter to pay, though Quistis detoured.

"Wait for me outside; I'm going to the restroom," she said to everyone and they waved her on without much verbal response.

The amusing thing she found was that her check had suddenly jumped out of her hand at some point. A few minutes later, standing at the pay counter, she creased her brow. "I'm sorry, it seems I've--"

"Don't worry, Madame, it's taken care of," the waiter interrupted, gesturing out the doors to her friends. "The gentleman with the hat paid for you."

Quistis looked in the designated direction, blinking a few times. "Oh…" was all she seemed to be able to say. After thanking the waiter anyway, she squinted a little and observed him through the glass of the doors, now talking to Selphie in an animated conversation. The blonde couldn't help but wonder that maybe there was more to Irvine Kinneas than what met the eye.

**************************************

A/N#2: Whoo! Okay!! Finally managed to get that sucker out and posted!! And now watch me have absolutely no readers left. Sigh. Sorry for the VERY late update—you can blame my English teacher for being a butt and assigning all the essays and research papers in the world. Damn Yankee. No offense to Northerners. ^_^

And when you're done screaming at me for making you wait FOREVER for this chapter, could you say something nice? Thanks, 'ppreciate it. ^_^


	8. The Meteor Shower

A/N: ::Ducks:: I know, I know, I'm a terrible author who can't update her stories worth shit!  Okay, okay, I realized that SHIMH hasn't had a new chapter since the beginning of November and I had a very nice reviewer tell me that in an email.  Check my use of the word "nice."

Anyhow, here it is, finally, since you people want to push my buttons for it.  You can blame my English teacher, dammit!  But I won't have him again after Christmas so maybe things will speed up in the spring.

******************************************

"Matron?"

The ex-sorceress looked up from her place at Cid's desk.  "Something you needed?"

"Um… sort of.  Where's Cid?"

Edea smiled a little.  "In a meeting across the hall.  I think I feel a little more important if I sit here while he's gone."  She gestured to one of the two plush armchairs facing her.  "Do you want to sit?"

"No thanks; I'll be quick."

"What's the matter?"

"Well, nothing's wrong.  I was wondering… do you remember, back when we lived at the orphanage, who you had first?"

"First?"  The dark-haired woman quirked an eyebrow.

"I know we all lived there at one time, but can you remember how you got us all?"

Edea leaned back a little, taking in the question.  It was an odd time to bring up the past, especially between her children and herself, and yet he seemed so intent on knowing the answer.  After a moment's pause of thought, she sat forward again and braced her elbows on the desk.  "Well…" she began slowly, "I know that Selphie and Zell came roughly at the same time.  Squall and Ellone were close too… but Quistis was in some odd space in the middle.  She was alone."

"How did you find her?"

Edea squinted a little.  "She came to me, actually.  Social services from Esthar sent her down.  They said the orphanages were in bad shape—still are.  I had all the room in the world, and so I took her in."

A silent moment passed as her visitor contemplated the facts just given to him.  He thanked her quickly, but politely and was rising to leave when her gentle voice stopped him.

"Why do you ask?"

'The inevitable question,' he thought momentarily, wishing he had planned a good answer for it ahead of time.  He counted silently to three before turning around with a smile.  "All of us were talking the other day about our roots—just making jokes like, 'I bet my dad was the President of Esthar' or something."

Edea raised an eyebrow at him.

"Of course, that's not a joke if you're Squall," he concluded, realizing his statement.  His surrogate mother shook her head with a small smile.

"I'll see you later."

"Bye," she called pleasantly to his disappearing form. 

*******************************************************

"There's a what tonight?" Selphie tilted her head at her friend.

"Meteor shower," Rinoa repeated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  "Do you guys not watch the news?"

"No," answered five voices around her at the lunch table.  The brunette shook her head.

"I'll be too busy writing my paper anyway—there's always another one," Zell said, stuffing his face with hot dogs as usual.  On his tray he had left only one for Quistis, who sat beside him.  She hadn't even touched the food yet, much less acknowledged its presence before her.  When her blond friend turned to her with pleading eyes, she waved a hand silently and watched as the martial artist devoured yet another bun.

"There's nothing great about a meteor shower.  It's just like watching an Ultima," Selphie said, snorting.  Irvine lifted his Fruit Works toward her.

"I'll drink to that," he said, complying after his words.

"You know you're supposed to make a wish on those things," Rinoa leaned back in her chair, "Although they've never come true for me."

"They never do, dear," Selphie shook her head, snickering.

Irvine leaned to his right toward a certain blonde ex-instructor.  As he came closer, he couldn't help smell her perfume, fruity in nature and not strong at all.  He breathed it in one more time before speaking.  "What would you wish for?"

She turned in surprise, seeming to notice for the first time that he was leaning her way.  "What?"

"You don't talk much at lunch.  I've noticed," he said, taking another sip from his drink.

The blonde shrugged delicately.  "I don't have a lot to say," she concluded bluntly.  'Nice one, Quistis,' she couldn't help but kick herself mentally.  It was true; most of the time she would let the others talk away about everything and anything.  She rarely said anything unless something was asked of her directly.  Not that she didn't listen or wasn't interested in their conversations—she just wasn't much of a group conversationalist.  

"You have a lot to say when you're talking to people one-on-one.  Like now," Irvine motioned vaguely between them.  "And like the restaurant."

Quistis defended herself.  "I'm not a social butterfly.  I hang on to the people that are really important to me; not every person that walks my way.  Most of them will just walk right back out."

Irvine nodded, agreeing.  "True, true," he mused.  His offense returned within a moment's breath.  "Still, you'll talk up a storm with me alone, and then when we get here," he spread his hands out in the air, possibly meaning the cafeteria or Garden as a whole, "you just shut up again."

"Can't change who I am," she returned, almost sadly.  They locked eyes for a moment, contemplating the small conversation between them, entirely separate from the one at the table.  Quistis blinked first, feeling as though he were staring straight in to her soul with those brown eyes of his.  Looking closer, she noticed for the first time that they had little gold flecks in them, pointing out in a perfect circle from the iris.

"… I wouldn't," Irvine voiced finally with a small smile.  Without any will of his own, he lifted his hand and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.  Surprisingly enough, she didn't shy away and give him a good black eye like the Quistis he knew… or thought he had known.  She came across as a cold, sophisticated, and untouchable blonde who fit better in a fashion magazine than a battlefield.  A part of him still saw that in her—it was her image, after all.

And yet he saw a very reserved, almost coy woman in her, one who avoided dance floors not because her male standards were higher than that of any average girl of 18, but because she couldn't dance.  She didn't participate in group cracks and jokes not because she thought them uninteresting, but because she couldn't think of them herself.

Selphie cupped her chin in one hand, her elbow resting on the table.  Her gaze wandered to her best friend as she watched him leave his touch on Quistis's face a bit longer than necessary.  The same feeling in her arose again—the feeling she had gotten when she had come back into the restaurant lobby and found the two of them dancing.  In some odd sense, it resembled the feeling in her stomach after the rather scandalous basketball game between herself and Irvine.

Could it have been called longing?  No, not really.  Maybe the "J" word…

She shook her head a little.  What was wrong with her?  This was Irvine and Quistis—the moon would explode first before they ever thought about being together.  And why did she care in the first place?

Rinoa lowered her drink from her lips, eyes looking briefly over the scene before her.  Discreetly, she looked away again before Selphie's eyes could catch her gaze.

"You never answered my question," Irvine said suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

"What question?" Quistis shifted uneasily.

He looked up towards the ceiling and through the crystalline roof above the cafeteria.  "The meteor shower… what would you wish for?"

Her hands folded in her lap when she leaned back in her seat, her head tilting charmingly to the side.  "My freedom…"

Irvine blinked, eyes focusing on her serious expression.  He doubted she was referring to any kind of freedom from Garden, or perhaps she was.  It was hard to say given her tone of voice.  She seemed almost… wistful.

"From what?" he couldn't help asking.

"Hey, Irvine, do you want to go?" Selphie came in, with no intent to interrupt.  Her green eyes were innocent, eyebrows raised, head cocked.

The gunslinger looked away from the blonde, blinking a few times.  "What?  Oh—yeah, we should get going."

"Going where?" Rinoa mused, her form relaxed, arms crossed casually over her middle as she looked at the two best friends.

"Next class meets in the Vid-Lib and we're all for front row seats," Selphie answered, standing in synchronization with Irvine.  She waved and smiled before turning away and leaving the table, Irvine at her side.  

Quistis stared after them, her gaze focused and yet distant at the same time.

Rinoa's eyes flickered between the three, her drink hiding the action.

*****************************************************************

Looking thoughtfully between the blinded windows and her room, Quistis placed her hands on her hips.  A moment later, she walked over and drew aside the sheer lacing, sliding the glass window open.  She was met with a cool breath of late autumn air—the kind of gust that smelled of flower fields and the tossing ocean.  From her window, she could make out the city lights of Balamb.  Suburban as the town really was, it was well lit for a small settlement.

She rested her arms on the sill, inhaling the sweet air.  Her gaze lifted to the sky as she remembered Rinoa's promise of a meteor shower that night.  Looking now, she could only see the stationary glimmers of bluish light that were the stars.  The ocean could be heard in the distance.  It was one of the few times in her life Quistis had felt a significant sense of peace.

She considered going out onto her balcony—one of the few dorms in Garden that possessed such a feature.  She hadn't asked for the extra space or the extra bit of terrace, but she wasn't complaining when she moved out of her old dorm the week following Ultimecia's defeat.  After all, she didn't fear heights.

Giving into her impulse, Quistis opened the door beside her window and stepped out into the night.  Her hand ran over the smooth stone railing, thoughts spinning off into the cool air.  

"Boo!"

He was answered with the loudest vocal sound he had ever heard from Quistis, what with her reserved nature.  She screamed in genuine surprise, her arms coming up on reflex for protection.

"Hey, hey, it's just me, Quistis," he reassured her, hands up in arrest.

"IRVINE!" she punched him on the arm of his black, leather jacket, sending him halfway across the small space of her balcony.  "What the hell do you think you're _doing_!" she could have bellowed the words but shock and yes, relief, had short-winded her, and an angry rasp had been all she could manage.

"Hey, whatever happened to 'hello'?" he dusted himself off.  He had to admit she had one heck of a right hook.

Completely unexpected, he watched as she stormed toward him, grabbing the collar of his jacket and pushing him up against the wall.  "Hello is for people who come through the door, not out of nowhere," she grit out, letting him go afterward.  

"Yes, ma'am," he lazily saluted her, coughing his breath back.  

Eventually, she settled back down and stood back from him, eyes curious.  "What are you doing here?  How are you here in the first place?"

Irvine pointed to the small balcony above hers, close to ten feet higher and off to the right just a bit.  "That's the upstairs student lounge.  I was watching some TV when I looked out the window and saw you here.  Couldn't help myself."  He smiled.

"You jumped?" Her blue eyes widened.

"I'm a SeeD," he answered, as if it explained the ability to do anything and everything.  

Quistis nodded gravely.  "Of course," she answered, looking off.

Irvine sent her a sideways glance as he came up beside her at the rail.  "So… out to see the meteor shower?"

She nodded, eyes raised to the Heavens.  "I've never seen one before."

Irvine nodded.  He waited a few moments before speaking again, almost softly.  "I think I remember seeing one.  You know, when I was little."

"The orphanage?"

"After," he admitted, "at my foster home."

Quistis listened, suddenly realizing for the first time that perhaps someone other than Zell had stayed with a family after the orphanage was destroyed.  She herself never had the opportunity, and was put into Garden the day after she walked out of the little stone house by the ocean… forever.

"Do you keep in touch with them?" she asked politely.

The Galbadian gunslinger beside her shrugged a little.  "Not as much as Zell does with his mom, but I get emails from my sister every now and then."

"Sister?" Quistis echoed.

"My foster parents are probably too busy making business deals and robbing people of their money in every major Galbadian city." Irvine smiled a little.  "They're company buyers, both of them.  And the only reason why they adopted me was so they could look charitable in the public eye.  They were nice enough, but they weren't Matron."

Quistis recoiled a little, surprised at his life story before Garden.  It seemed so chock full of everything she had ever wanted in life before entering the elite mercenary school.  

"My sister, though, we got along fine," he finished a little on the soft side, his gaze fixated on the grass far below them.

The blonde beside him folded her hands together, words escaping her.  He seemed reluctant to talk about it, and yet it was almost as if the story was coming out for the first time in a long time, maybe even the first time ever.  "… How long did you live with them?" She considered it a safe question.

"Three years," he answered shortly, though not snappily.

Silence reigned between them as they stared out into the open air before them.  There was a strange presence that night, a hanging ambience of something special… almost enchanted.  She could just barely feel Irvine's arm against hers as they leaned together on the low wall of the balcony.  Just that tiny breath of touch, of his warmth seemed to seep through her skin.  A bothersome tingle crawled up her spine as she tried her best to deny the feeling that kept surfacing in her when she was around him lately.

"Can I ask you something?" Irvine's voice cut into her inner conflict.

"Sure," she insisted kindly.

He looked at her now, his brown eyes catching the attention of her blue orbs.  "What'd you mean earlier?  At lunch."

She only received him with a puzzled expression.

"About you wishing for your freedom?" he clarified, and she was certain she saw him take the smallest step towards her.

Quistis dropped her gaze.  "Oh, that," she answered quietly, thinking back on the events.  Even in some part of her, she wasn't sure what she had meant by her words.  Instinct had practically begged her to say it, and when she did, it felt like the right answer, even if she didn't fully understand it herself.  But how would she explain it to Irvine?  Did she want to tell him in the first place?  Clearing her throat, she looked back up at him.  "Just… release from life, sometimes.  You know?"

Irvine raised one eyebrow.  "Like death?" he blurted out, mentally slapping himself afterward.

She shook her head with a smile, as though she were dealing with a small child who asked too many questions.  "No, not death.  It's more like a sense of… separation."  When she saw the look on his face, she laughed softly.  "Never mind—I'm too weird for you."

"Too mysterious," he corrected, matching her faint voice with his own almost wistful one.  He quieted suddenly, looking at her in the subtle light of the moon.  She had always been beautiful but she seemed ethereal in the night, her blonde hair shining, and her bewitching prettiness reflecting the natural look of some mystic nymph.

'He took another step,' Quistis noted in the back of her mind.  He was noticeably closer, his much taller form standing over her in a perfect arrangement to—

A magnificent flash of light caused both of them to look up in perfect unison, their heads tilting back at the sky.  Across the heavens streamed countless beams of light, never ending, at least for those moments.  Too surprised to speak, they stared dumbly at the wondrous event, eyes wide and amazed.  

Irvine was first to look away and back to her again, a look of revelation on his features.  Quistis looked at him curiously.

"Irvine?" her voice was soft.

He cleared his throat and saluted her again, "Ahem, granting you your wish of freedom," he said, and was through her balcony door and out her dorm door before she could stop him

Quistis stood rooted to her spot, her eyes following him unbelievingly.  The guy sure had his exits and entrances, didn't he?  Then, rubbing her arms a little, she looked up just as the last lights of the meteor shower faded away into the darkness of the night sky.  The stars returned, blinking in their own glory, though following a meteor shower proved a tough position.  

She couldn't help but wish he hadn't run out on her so soon—something odd was going on between them.

*******************************************************

Selphie twirled the phone cord in her hand as she cradled the receiver to her ear with the other.  She was already well buried under the covers and the lamp beside her bed had been out for nearly an hour.  Still, she talked into the night.

"Well," she said softly, even though she had a dorm to herself.  The mood of a late night phone call demanded a softer voice any way one looked at it.  "I think wishing on flying rocks of space vomit isn't exactly the most interesting of hobbies."

"Sel," Irvine's voice sounded annoyed on the other end, "It's a pop culture thing."

"Irvine, since when do I care about being 'in' with anything?" She shifted under her blanket.  "Did you see it?"

A hesitation on the other end.  "… A little too good a timing, but yeah, I saw it."

Selphie stared at the ceiling.  "What do you mean?"

"Never mind.  It was great though."

The brunette knitted her brows, wondering why he was being so vague all of the sudden.  She hid her curiosity under her usually cheerful voice.  "Did you make a wish?"

"… No."

"See?  You're not into it either," she told him matter-of-factly, green eyes laughing.

"Selphie?"

"Yeah?"

"… How do you know when you like someone?"

The petite teenager narrowed one eye in uncertainty.  "What?"

"I mean, aren't you supposed to get this feeling that goes all up your body, like you can't even think about anything else but being with that person?"

Selphie waited a breath of silence before speaking again.  "What's her name?"

"What makes you think I'm talking about me?" he sounded defensive.  She could almost see him grinning in his room, most likely sitting on his bed tossing darts at the far wall.

"Irvine, you wouldn't mention it to me if it was about someone else." She rolled her eyes.  "Now who is she?"

She heard the sharp object make contact with the wall on the other end of the phone line.  Irvine sighed.  "It's her."

"_Her_?" Selphie echoed, remembering the last conversation they'd had about _her_.  She was Irvine's dream woman, someone funny and beautiful who ignored his flirty nature… whatever.

"And alas, she still only exists in my mind," Irvine finished, throwing the last dart at the target board and hitting the two.  "I think I think about her too much, I think."

"You think?"

"I think."

"I think so too."  Selphie closed her eyes for a brief moment, inhaling deeply.  Melatonin worked faster on Friday nights for some odd, unknown reason.  "So how do you really know if it'll be her?"

"… She'll make something happen in my heart."

Selphie smiled in the darkness of her room.  "Just something, huh?"

"Just something."

The brunette shook her head.  "Good night, Irvine."

"Sweet dreams, Selphie."

*********************************************

A/N#2: Ugh.  That was a challenge.  I'm trying not to hit a dead point in the story, but I don't think I'm succeeding.  :(

Tell me if I'm just going down the slope here.

And I've got another question: do you, as a reviewer who has played Final Fantasy VIII most likely a few times over, think that I'm keeping everyone in character?  Especially Quistis, because she has such an interesting role in this fic.  You don't see it yet, but you will eventually at the end.  Geez… that's still so far away. ^_^


	9. Are You In Love?

A/N: I'm on a roll here. Woohoo!

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Nine: Are You In Love?

Irvine paced the floor of his dorm, hat dipped low over his eyes as his thoughts ran with him.  He had already been trying to deny it for the last hour and a half and frankly, it hadn't worked.  The one word that kept surfacing in his mind was _her_ and how close he was to tacking "her" name to it.

He closed his eyes and muttered an expletive that would have made Seifer proud.  His fists were clenched and the temperature in the room was uncomfortably hot.  He couldn't be letting this happen—this wasn't supposed to happen for at least another seven years!  He still had thousands of phone numbers to charm from girls, hundreds of dates to go on, and probably best of all, millions of times to annoy Selphie with it all.

But it was close, damn it all.  He wasn't sure of anything anymore, much less something dealing with his love life.  Was she really worth it?  Was it just some crazy hormonal phase where a guy suddenly went for his sister figure?  It had to be.

The room really was getting too stuffy.  Gruffly, the gunslinger stormed out of his room and headed for the Central Gate where he could get out of Garden.  Nature always cleared one's thoughts better than buildings.  He kept his head down, much to his trouble later on when he walked straight into a girl in the main lobby.

"Irvine?"

His head lifted immediately, along with some of his spirits.  "Selphie," he said quite unnecessarily, before giving her a bear hug.  She stumbled back a little, bewildered at his behavior.  He seemed happy to see her—maybe a little too happy.

"Uh, love you too?" she said uncertainly, patting his back a few times.

He finally lifted his head, releasing his bruising hold on her.  "Sorry.  Just felt right."

The petite brunette in front of him loosely crossed her arms and shifted footing.  "What's wrong?" she asked almost immediately after he had settled down.

He shook his head sadly.  "You know me too well."

"Of course I do," she replied, perching on a nearby bench.  "You always tip your hat low over your eyes when you're upset.  Not to mention you're actually happy to see me."  She reached for a leaf from a near planter, slowly turning it over in her hands and watching him from beneath her lashes.

He sighed quietly and sat beside her, leaning forward.  His expression was solemn; even for him it seemed a bit much.  Selphie straightened, concern lacing her features.  She tentatively lifted her hand and let it flutter down on his shoulder.  "Irvine…?"

He didn't look at her.  "I don't know, Sel… some weird things are happening."  

She recoiled a little, hand still on his shoulder.  The little bit of pressure was comforting to him—more so than he would have liked to admit.  "You seemed fine yesterday," she commented softly.

"I was fine yesterday," he answered back, leaning into her touch.  

"So…" Selphie began almost pertly, though not enough to ruin the moment.  She resisted a grin.  "What's her name then?"

He looked at her, finger tipping across her nose.  "I guess you don't know me THAT well, then, do you?"

Rather than fire back her own retort, he watched as she simply smiled at him.  "I know you would have told me by now," she said quietly, but effectively.  Irvine cowered a little, knowing she was right.  He could tell her anything.  Regardless of the pointless spats they had over his flirting and whatnot, they went deeper than what most saw.  Even the gang seemed doubtful of their relationship sometimes.  They tipped it off as a momentary fascination with a childhood figure—and that was the farthest from the truth one could get.

He'd waited ten years to see her again.  She meant more than any momentary cute girl who just happened to give into his charms… his old charms, he should say.

But he couldn't tell her.  There was something about what he was going through now that he couldn't quite express to her…

Instead, he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, breathing in the pleasant smell of her hair.  "I would have," he agreed.  "… But for some reason, I can't."

She didn't feel discarded or rejected, much to his surprise.  And she wasn't going to force an answer out of him like some paranoid girlfriend.  Her head buried a little more into his shoulder.  "… I understand."

Silently they sat, oddly somber for a Wednesday afternoon.  What he wouldn't tell her wasn't the issue anymore—it was being with him, losing herself in his warmth.  Why was it he always seemed so warm, even if it was negative 50 degrees outside?  The night they had eaten out with the gang at the Evening Muse, he had walked beside her on the way back.  She was warm just from that experience.

Something was happening to her.  She couldn't, she _wouldn't_ admit it was that…

She stood at the elevator, looking down on the lower level of the lobby where they sat.  

*********************************************

"You what?" Tahna repeated unbelievingly.

"I'm not anything as of right now," Quistis said quickly, maybe even exasperatedly as she shifted the toddler in her arms.  "I really don't know what's going on."

"Well, honey, apparently if you're even thinking about it, something is going on.  At least for you," Tahna concluded, casting a wary glance at the playground.  "And it's a good thing he didn't volunteer today."

Quistis smiled.  "I know, I know.  I owe you big time."

"But are you sure," Tahna continued, emphasizing her words, "that he doesn't feel anything for you?"

The blonde shifted.  "No."

"Well then get sure!" her superior near shouted, upsetting the child in Quistis's arms.  

"Ba ba," he whined, waving a rattling toy in front of her face.  She put it back down with a measured smile.  

"Yes, honey, I know you want another one," she answered, looking around.  Tahna demanded her attention once again, standing before her, hand on hip, expression expectant.  Quistis sighed.  "I know this isn't the best time to be bringing things up either.  There's…" she stopped, thinking of her.

"There's what?"

"It's just…" Quistis rocked the boy once or twice.  "Before last week, he was just like any other guy walking down the street.  He's Irvine—you just don't go there."

Tahna nodded mutely.

"And then suddenly," the blonde's voice turned melancholy, "you see him volunteering at a church daycare, and you'd think it's a twenty-four karat gold bracelet that he's handing you on Friendship Day considering how much trouble he's gone through just to give it to you… and you know, you just _know_, that he was this close to doing something else last night during the meteor shower-"

"So you like him?" Tahna put in simply.

Quistis rolled her eyes.  "I'm trying to figure out why it's different between us now.  It was nothing before Ultimecia."

"So you like him?" her boss repeated, grinning.

Quistis let out a stale breath of air.  "… I-I don't know…"

Tahna sighed, throwing a hand up.  "What is it with you young folks these days?  Can never really grasp how much time you don't have left."  With that, she turned her attention to the screaming children on the swing set, their cries seeming to echo to the ends of the Earth.

Quistis shook her head as the boy in her arms placed a small hand against her cheek.  She smiled at him, blue eyes radiating kindness as opposed to coldness.  He was cute, the little guy, though heavy on her arms.  She gave him a small kiss on the nose before following behind Tahna.

******************************************

"What's his name?" Rinoa asked as soon as she saw her friend's face.

"Irvine Kinneas," Selphie replied glumly, seating herself in the black metal chair and hitting her head on the cafeteria table.  "I don't know anymore, Rin."

"You don't know what?" the sorceress asked warily, observing the brunette's depressed state.  She was glad she had been the only one sitting at the table when Selphie had arrived.  "Whether or not you like him?"

Selphie raised her head, sighing.  "If I liked him, that wouldn't be the problem."

"… You lost me."

"Rinoa, you know what he's like.  Sure, those girls he chases after don't mean anything to him, but it's like… he's turning in his badge, you know?" Selphie tilted her head.  "I really don't know which side of him I like better.  Or maybe I'm just not familiar with this new one."

"So you like him?" Rinoa mused, keeping her guess silent.

Selphie rolled her eyes.  "I'm trying to figure out why it's different between us now."

"So you like him?" Rinoa repeated, grinning.

The brunette preoccupied herself with the clear coat of polish on her nails.  "… I-I don't know…"

Rinoa shook her head, throwing up a hand.  "What is it with you people these days?  Tell you good truth, I thought you guys had something during Ultimecia."

Selphie shook her head.  "Not then—we were just close, mindless of the flirting.  He did that with everyone though.  So why is he different now?" she couldn't help but ask, even if she knew Rinoa didn't have the answer.

The sorceress contemplated the situation for a few silent moments.  "Are you sure he doesn't feel anything for you?"

The Trabian lass shifted.  "… No."

"Well then get sure!" Rinoa near shouted, earning the attention of every Garden student within a twenty-foot radius.  They turned from their dinners in question, expressions bewildered.

"Shhh!" Selphie hissed, shooting her friend a Look.  "Why don't you just broadcast it?"

"Maybe I will with all this foreplay going on.  Why can't you just tell him?" Rinoa leaned back in her seat.  "Sure, I'm not one to talk because it took forever to get through to Mr. Ice King himself, but Irvine's different.  You guys really have something, romantic or not."

Even as she was saying the words, Rinoa couldn't help but scream 'hypocrite' to herself.  The scene at lunch the day before kept playing in her mind.  She had only been looking at the two because they sat straight across from her.  There wasn't anything suspicious about the way they had been talking until he lifted his hand and let it linger against her temple.  And she hadn't been the only one watching them.

Selphie had too, apparently letting more emotion escape her features than she would have liked to admit.  Rinoa could have sworn she saw something else in the brunette's eyes than just casual observance…

Not being able to draw any conclusions, Rinoa frowned and took another sip of her drink.  Across from her, Selphie remained silent.

************************************************

"Selphie."

How she liked hearing her name in that deep voice.  It seemed to resonate through her head, day and night, night and day.  So she had been feeling a bit out of mind, for some reason that she wouldn't admit.  The day before, when she had confessed what little part of her thoughts to Rinoa, she hadn't counted on seeing her "best friend" again.  Yet when he showed up at her dorm just before curfew hours, begging her to take a walk with him, she couldn't help but kick herself.  She wasn't the most reserved and secretive person, but situations brought out new sides in her.  

She could tell, mentally and physically, but she wouldn't.  Just like he couldn't tell her whatever it was that had been bothering him yesterday.  A part of her wanted it to be the same feeling she had… a part of her knew that wasn't true.  

The walk outside had done little to ease her conscience.  He loomed beside her, silent as Squall had been once upon a time.  If he was one to talk it was usually to slip a line or two, maybe a flattering comment.  It wasn't so with her.  And so he said nothing, letting silence answer her equally silent questions.  Neither knew the storm brewing within each other.

And then he turned to her, enlightenment highlighting his features.  He would be playing basketball with "the guys" tomorrow; would she come?  Certainly she would come, straight into her insanity she would come.  She was crazy enough without his presence; with it, she was invalid.  But of course, she only smiled and agreed to meet him after classes in the first floor gym.  

She wasn't blind.  Quistis had been acting strangely lately, and she didn't have to wonder why.

He called her name, catching her in mid-stance to leave.  She froze, messenger bag full of textbooks still at her side, other hand tense around a bottle of water.  Her green eyes closed and she discreetly counted to three before turning around.

"Irvine!" she tried to return some of the cheer to her voice.

"Hey, you made it," he nudged her and nodded toward the court.  "So far I'm killing Luke, 13 to 6."

She nodded, feigning her expressions for once.  "Great."

"You're gonna stay, aren't you?" he turned his chocolate brown eyes on her and she nearly stumbled.  He grinned.  "We're staying here until they kick us out."

"Unofficial tournament?" Selphie mused, falling into step beside him as they walked toward the bleachers.  

"Yep," he answered, "Balamb against me."

Selphie elbowed him.  He could keep her at ease about a lot of things.  "Against the white guy who can jump."

"You know it."

Shoulder bag in her hands, Quistis walked slowly up to the double doors of the gym and looked in on the basketball game.  She had just run into Rinoa moments ago, and that had been when the brunette let slip the whereabouts of everyone else.  She couldn't help but feel left out of the group at times, and the previous proved no different.  She figured she would never truly fit in with any group—maybe just an individual…

A few SeeDs, still in their uniforms, passed by her as they walked through the doors, and she quickly moved out of the way as she noticed her position blocking the entry.  A little shyly, she scanned the half filled gym before her blue eyes caught sight of two figures she was getting used to spying on…

Could it really have been called spying?  She had only been coming back down from the office the day before when she saw them sitting in the lobby, their position nothing short of what any passerby would identify as a couple.  A strange stirring had unstilled the waters of her heart and she found herself blinking away reality after a few moments.  She had no right to be looking in on them as if she were a bodyguard.  Even as she mutely turned and walked away, she couldn't deny the fluttering, the disturbance in her.  For what reason she was experiencing those emotions, she wouldn't admit.  

Now, staring at them again as Irvine tapped his much shorter best friend's nose and grinned at her, the same churn of her heart returned.  She liked him—she might as well have admitted it now.  Inwardly rolling her eyes at herself, Quistis loosened the hold on the strap of her bag and took a deep breath.  There had to be something she had missed while on the mission—Irvine never held so much ground with her until recently… too recently.

He joined in the game again as Selphie settled on the front bleacher, eyes following his every move.  Quistis's expression softened as another thought crept into her mind.  She wasn't blind.  Selphie had more to her than the bubbly personality and hyperactive charm everyone was so familiar with.

The blonde stood at the door a few more minutes and watched the play with one eye, her other fixed on her friend.  Finally, after a three-pointer, she made her way down the sidelines and reached Selphie's sitting figure within seconds.

"Hey."

The brunette turned at the touch upon her shoulder.  "Oh, hey Quistis!" she greeted brightly, genuinely.  "Come to see the game?"  Selphie watched as she looked out over the court and took a seat beside her.  

"I guess," she said, smiling a little—just a little.  

"Hm," Selphie agreed before looking back to Irvine.  The opposing team had called a time out, and he now stood in a circle with his buddies, trying desperately to listen.  He looked to the bleachers to find that Selphie had a companion now, familiar indeed.  He signaled to his best friend and winked at the blonde beside her.

Selphie held up her 20 oz. drink.  "Water?" she questioned, not quite sure what he was signaling her for.

Neither female missed the wink directed at the former instructor.  Both shifted uncomfortably and looked at each other with a hesitant smile.  After a breath, Selphie waved her water bottle again.  "Water?" she called out again, louder this time.  But Irvine turned away suddenly, lending an ear to his teammate as they discussed, most likely, strategy.  Then again, with Irvine, one just never knew.

"Selphie?" Quistis voiced suddenly, eyes still looking at the Galbadian gunslinger.

The brunette turned.  "Yeah?" 

Quistis nodded toward her optical point.  "You and Irvine are best friends, aren't you?"

"Sometimes I feel like we're the same person," her friend answered, earning a small smile from Quistis.  Selphie's eyes softened a little as she tilted her head.  "What I tell most people, and what I feel is closer to the truth than anything is… I'm Irvine's best friend, not the other way around."

Quistis didn't let pass a breath of pause.  "Are you in love with him?"

 In those emerald eyes where all she had ever seen was joy and happiness there settled a confusion, bewilderment, wonder… maybe even a sense of violation.  Selphie stared at Quistis, her mind flying through the possibilities of answers she could give.  She was so shocked her mind didn't take into account that the longer she hesitated, the more she gave the older female an answer.  But how had she known?  Was she really that easy to read?  Did she look at Irvine with some sentimental gleam in her eye that gave away every hidden emotion that she couldn't even sort through at the moment?

Time slowed as Quistis stared intently at her, waiting for an answer, a revelation.  Neither were prepared for the familiar figure that dropped between them, excruciatingly ignorant of what he had interrupted.

"Hey!  So how are my leading ladies?" Irvine questioned, looking back and forth between the two women.  They broke eye contact, smiling at him through the tension.  

"Fine," Quistis answered lightly, though in her usual reserved manner.  

"Did you want water?" Selphie retrieved the bottle again, holding it out to him. 

 "Thanks," he complied, handing the half-full bottle back to her afterward.  He turned to Quistis.  "So are you going to stay?" he asked, subtly on the soft side, as if he didn't want Selphie to hear.  Ridiculous goal.

"Um, actually, I-I just remembered that I have to be somewhere in ten minutes--" the blonde stood.

"But you just got here," Irvine protested, besting her height by seven inches.  

"W-well, it's important," Quistis returned smoothly, as if he would take the answer without whine.

"And I'm not?" he questioned sadly, stepping closer to her.

Selphie placed her arm between them, pushing her best friend back.  "Irvine, leave her alone," she near commanded before smiling weakly at the blonde.  "We promise we'll tell you all about it, okay?"

"But Sel--"

"No, she has somewhere she needs to be and that's that," she cut him off quickly.  "We won't leave anything out," she continued to Quistis, who by now was looking back and forth between the two rather knowingly.

"I really should go," she agreed, even though she only looked at Irvine.  "Um… I'll just see you later."

"Yeah, okay, bye Quistis." Selphie pushed her protesting best friend in the general direction of the court.  "Go on, dufus, your team's waiting for you," she told him firmly.  "And no more slip-ups, you hear me!" she shouted after his form.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Quistis turn and look over her shoulder once more at the players on the court, particularly one, before disappearing through the doors.  Selphie closed her eyes momentarily and shook the hanging question out of her thoughts.  She didn't know she would have to face it sooner than she thought—was she in love with Irvine?  

*********************************************

A/N#2: Patience is a virtue, Irvine/Selphie fans.  Patience is THE virtue…


	10. I Would Ruin Something

A/N: I should be on Christmas break for the rest of my life.  Hyne knows my stories get updated a lot faster.

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Ten: I Would Ruin Something

Therise glared at her husband, shaking her head at his ignorance.  "I think the vent goes in the other way, dear."

"Women," he grumbled, stepping down from the small ladder once the air conditioner had been fixed.  "They're only good for yelling."

"Don't you think it's a little late to be telling me that?" Therise ran numbers in her head at lightning speed.  "Thirty-six years, to be exact."

"It's never too late to say anything," he returned, sighing a little.  "Though it seems like it these days."

Therise, 52 years old and going strong, stared at him through her eyes, the way she had for so long.  Every aspect of her life since her twentieth birthday had dealt with Solan, her husband… and true love if one wanted to get technical.  They lived in their pleasant home in Trabia, running on thirty some years now, and they most likely weren't going to leave until they crossed the line between death and life.  

"We're old, dear.  Try to accept that," she patted him lightly on the back.  "Oh, and the Schmidt's wanted us over for dinner tomorrow.  Their son's coming home from college for fall break."

"Therise," Solan said suddenly, quietly.  Numbness tingled through his right leg.

"Oh I know, they can run their mouths a mile a minute," Therise continued, walking into the kitchen.  "But don't worry; I'll make a quick getaway at… eight?  How does that sound?"

"Therise," he said again, louder this time.  His breath was escaping him and the air felt stale.

"Don't argue with me now," she said passively, waving him off.  "I've already told them we'd be happy to come, just as long as we don't stay until the wee hours, like they would like us too--"

She cut off at the sound of him desperately calling her name once more before collapsing.

***********************************************************

The hospital was white and purple, though not a dark, menacing purple.  It was a lavender purple, reflecting off the walls with a serene glow.  The halls were empty, scarcely occupied by nurses and doctors and they walked busily with their clipboards clutched to their hearts.  The third floor was carpeted and the heavy doors of the hospital rooms stood open, their occupants sleeping soundly.  

In the hallway outside her husband's room sat Therise, gray head of hair hung in silence.  Beside her sat another elderly lady, her sister, younger by only a few years.  They were quiet, just as the rest of the building was.  A nurse came by every hour or so to check on him—refill the needles and syringes, press a few buttons on the complicated machines he was hooked up to… things like that, Therise thought somewhat bitterly.

Her sister sighed quietly.  "… Is there anyone you want me to call?  Anyone you need to tell about this?"

All her life, she had only known Solan.  She had been orphaned at the age of six and friends were scarce.  She was twenty when she made the decision to spend the rest of her life with that certain man, and twenty three when she decided to add another person to her life.  This someone would make her complete as a woman… as a mother.

Therise blinked suddenly, remembering her small gift of life.  How could she have forgotten?  It had been too long since they had last spoken.  Only when situation came to did she remember the little girl with the never ending joy in her features.  Slowly, the old woman swallowed and looked her sister in the eye.  "Selphie…"

Her companion drew back a little, surprised at the answer.  Then, nodding with understanding, she rose and went to the phone at the nurse's desk.

**************************************************

"Do you know," Irvine said, "that for every unhealthy thing you eat, you have to balance it out with something healthy?  Like a fruit or something," he shrugged. 

Selphie smiled a little at him, then looked at the ice cream cone in her hand.  "Haven't had to do it in 17 years.  Why start now?"

"You won't have that body forever, you know," he shot back, ducking when she threw the wrapper at him.  He grinned afterward, tilting his head at her as if he were trying to decipher the features of her face.  "But you'll still be beautiful."

Selphie looked away, smirking.  "You have to say that because you're my best friend."

Irvine pondered her comment, walking over to her.  "Actually, I shouldn't say that because I'm your best friend."  He winked and walked away smoothly, jumping to touch the frame of the door to her dorm.  He performed a brief pull-up before dropping to the ground again and watched her as she straddled her desk chair, calmly eating her ice cream.

"No classes today?" he questioned politely, if not routinely.

"Skipping," she returned blatantly, chewing her ice cream.  "What about you?"

"Taking an independent day of study," he shrugged, nudging her.  "How's that for a loop hole?"

Selphie turned in her chair, sitting correctly this time.  "Overused.  By now, I think Cid's beginning to see that SeeDs don't actually study on the days they claim to.  Maybe if he got out of his office every now and then, he would know."  She hadn't said it unkindly, just thoughtfully.

Irvine was opening his mouth to respond when the ground beneath him jolted suddenly and he stumbled across her dorm, incidentally knocking right into his sitting best friend and her half-finished ice cream.  He was only able to stutter out a surprised "W-whoa!" before crashing into Selphie, knocking her chair over and sending them both to the carpeted floor.  

A sudden coldness splashed across her shirt, not to mention Irvine's figure atop hers in a strangely intimate position.  Had they "done the deed" he would not have fallen any different. 

"Oww!!" she tried not to whine as her back met with the hard floor.  "What was _that?"_

Irvine lifted his head, "You all right?"

His genuine concern touched her, but she had other thoughts to process.  "I'm fine, but-" she cut off, looking down at her shirt.  "My ice cream sure couldn't take it."

He quickly retreated from her, helping her to a standing position.  "Here, I'll get some paper towels," he said, heading for the door.  

"No, Irvine, it's okay.  I'll just change," she said quickly, stopping him in his tracks.  Grumbling a little, she picked her way over to her closet and rummaged through the hangers for a shirt.  

"Need help?" he couldn't stop himself from asking.  He was a line-slipper, always and forever.

Selphie pulled a red V-neck from her clothes, making a face.  "Believe me, I wouldn't ask you for help changing."

Accordingly, Irvine turned his back and stared intently at the wall.  Behind him, he could hear clothes shifting as Selphie wormed out of her shirt, and the most indecent of pictures flashed in his mind.  He shook his head with a little smirk.  This was Selphie; _come on.  He was confused enough as it was—didn't need his best friend complicating things._

"Okay, I'm decent," her voice cut into his thoughts, and he turned around just in time to see her ball up her ice-cream covered shirt in one hand and toss it in the back of her closet where her hamper stood.  When she noticed him staring at her, she recoiled a little.  "What?"

Irvine looked around the room at all the shifted objects due to the jolt.  "So where's Garden going?  We've been grounded for over a month."

"Esthar," Selphie answered immediately.

"… How do you know?"

"There's a big banquet in celebration of Ultimecia's defeat."

Irvine squinted.  "A month and a half after she's already dead?"

"Hey, planning takes a while.  You can bet we'll probably be grounded outside Esthar for a week or so while Cid does his political stuff with Laguna and the government and all that fun stuff."  Selphie sat Indian-style on her bed.  "Rinoa told me about it yesterday.  So now Garden's on the move…" she trailed off as she figured Irvine understood the event.  When she looked closer, he seemed to be in deep thought.

"Esthar, huh?" he repeated.

She nodded woodenly.

"So we get to hang out in the big city for a while…" he thought aloud, ideas forming in his head.

Selphie raised an eyebrow.  "Don't go partying too much now," she said, thinking the worst of his thoughts.

He smiled at her and waved a hand.  "Didn't even cross my mind," he assured, and he was telling the truth.  His best friend looked as if she didn't believe him.  Regardless, he put on his hat and crossed her dorm.  "I've got homework.  See ya at dinner, okay?"

"Okay," she confirmed, smiling to him as he walked out her door.  After the panel slid closed behind him, her face fell a little and the sparkle disappeared from her eyes.  As she stared at her hands, her thoughts returned to the hanging question put into her mind the day before.  A thoughtful whisper escaped her lips.

"Am I in love with you, Irvine?"

**********************************************

Quistis drew aside her curtain and watched as the ocean passed beneath Garden.  Cid had come on the intercom a few moments after the unexpected jolt that had most likely sent every standing person to the floor.  They would be departing for Esthar on occasion and staying grounded outside the city for a week or two.  Quistis remembered looking at the PA speaker in the hall and asking herself, 'So you couldn't tell us that before you decided to move this great, big hunk of a school and make us think there was an earthquake?'

She had discovered with glee that she did not have to attend the celebration banquet, even if she was one of the six to put the sorceress to rest.  The occasion was for show.  And so, it meant a full week of city life for the blonde, and that was more interesting than small town Balamb for a change.  

It was night now as she looked out her window at the tossing waves of the ocean below her.  The moon shone brightly on the water and reflected its white light across the walls of Garden.  Quistis lay her head on her folded arms and wondered silently why she couldn't fall asleep.  It was only an hour until the new day and she had crawled out of bed to watch the scenery pass.  It usually served her interests but she was uneasy tonight.  She was tired, but not sleepy.  

Sighing quietly, she lifted her head and moved away from her window to turn the light on.  What she needed was coffee—her favorite friend in the morning and now, the night.  It was after hours, however, and she would have to sneak her way into the instructor's lounge upstairs in the main office.  

"So be it," she said determinedly, poking her head out her door and looking down the hallway.  The coast was clear so far.  On slippered feet, she shuffled quietly through the halls and even checked behind her every once in a while.  When she reached the main lobby, the lights were still on, the water still trickling beneath the bridge-like entryways into the different areas of Garden.  Mounting the stairs to the elevator, Quistis pushed the button for the second level and was in clear sight of the office within a few minutes.

The instructor's lounge was off-limits to students and SeeD, but she was past caring.  The SeeD lounge downstairs didn't have coffee—it was as simple as that.  Sighing her triumph, Quistis turned the handle of the heavy door and walked in the familiar room.

Soft piano music drifted into her ears almost immediately as she realized she was not the only occupant of the lounge.  For a terrible moment, she feared being caught by a curfew watcher and being penalized a point or two on her SeeD record, but when the man turned from the piano bench to see who had come in, her fear dissipated.

"Quistis!" he said brightly.

"… H-headmaster," she returned politely, trying to hide her surprise with a respectful nod.  She heard the door close behind her.

"Well isn't this a nice coincidence?" Cid continued, smiling.  No matter the hour, he always seemed happy.  "What brings you here at this time of night?"

Joyously, Quistis realized that he wasn't concerned with her breaking the rules.  "I couldn't sleep, sir," she said truthfully.  "I, um, came up here for coffee."

"That will just keep you up, Quistis dear," Cid returned, smiling.  "But!  No matter!"  He scooted to one side of the piano bench.  "Would you like to sit?  I haven't had an audience for my piano-playing in a long while."

"I didn't even know you played, sir," Quistis said, coming to the bench.

The headmaster ran his hand lightly over the white keys.  "Oh, I had this grand piano put in here a few years ago.  You remember, don't you?  When you used to be an instructor?  Well, anyhow, I thought this place needed some leisure past the couches and television.  So I had a grand piano put in for free use.  But I don't think it gets a lot of action," he concluded somewhat sadly, though good-naturedly.  He turned to the blonde, who still had not sat down beside him.  "Do you play?"

Quistis almost laughed.  "Me, sir?  No, I can't even read music.  Selphie can, though.  She plays the piano quite well."

Her superior rubbed his chin and nodded, almost as if he had never heard of such a thing.  "Hm.  How amazing.  I will have to ask her to come up here every now and then."

Quistis nodded, smiling.  Her gaze wandered to the coffee machine and the large stack of Styrofoam cups beside it.  All around the machine there were places for stirrers, sugar, cream, honey, chocolate, and the like.  She glanced at Cid.  "I hope you don't mind if I make some--"

"Oh please!  Help yourself," Cid encouraged.

"Thank you," she said accordingly, and set out to prepare herself a cup.  "Would you like any?"

The head of the Garden shook his head silently, and Quistis resumed her task.  Cid began to play again, a soft melody that drew pictures of spring and summer in the mind.  He was an exceptional pianist, Quistis thought as she waited for her coffee.  A few minutes later, with her steaming cup of coffee in her hands, she took a seat beside Cid, facing away from the keys.  

"Love's funny thing, you know," he said suddenly, playing softer now as he spoke.

Quistis blinked her surprise.  "Sir?"

"It can seem like nothing at first—just a simple twist of fate and then it turns into your entire focus," he continued, sounding almost as if he were discussing the weather or any casual subject.  Quistis couldn't help but wonder why he was bringing the subject up at all.  It related a little too closely to… herself.

Cid looked at her from the corner of his eye.  "And I can see you know that firsthand."

Quistis shifted uncomfortably.  "I really don't know what you're talking about--"

"Oh Quistis," he came in, still playing the piano on the softer side.  "The bunch of you can't hide things from me.  I see everything that goes on in this institution," he assured.  "With the help of my wife, too, obviously."

Quistis shook her head a little.  This was most odd a conversation.  

"… Have you told him how you feel about him?"

Her blue eyes searched his for any sign that she had given away.  This was Cid, _Cid—the very head of the school and everything concerning it.  And he knew her personal issues so well?  And even if he had found out from Matron, how had Edea figured it out?  Was she really that easy to read?  Disappointed in herself, Quistis wondered how she had lost her touch at being the cold, sophisticated, aloof, older sister figure._

What surprised her even more was that she found a measurable solace in talking with Cid.  They weren't best friends by any means, but he proved to be a good listener and advisor.  He was apart from her confusion, only a bystander who could give her a view outside her own little world.  That was probably what she needed the most at the moment.  It was no secret he was referring to Irvine.

"I can't help but think…" Quistis started, making sure she didn't tell him everything, "that I would be ruining something if I did."

"Ah," Cid mused, looking at the piano keys.  "Not willing to take the chance of sacrificing your friendship for a relationship?"

The blonde shook her head.  "No, actually…" she said truthfully, earning a confused look from Cid.  She sipped her coffee and pensively observed the far wall.  "I would be ruining something… between Selphie and him."

"Selphie?" Cid asked, his piano-playing becoming quieter and quieter.  "Why do you say that?"

Quistis smiled a little.  "They're best friends--"

"And only that," Cid reminded her.  "They have been ever since they were five, according to Edea.  And I've seen Irvine look at you like he looks at no one—not even his best friend."

Quistis shook her head.  "No, Cid," she said softly, using his name for the first time.  The mood was no longer formal.  "Beneath their friendship is a deeper love…"  Even as she said the words, admitting them to herself, she couldn't help the slight pain in her heart.  "And I don't want to come between that."

"Quistis," Cid said, lifting his hands from the piano, ceasing the music.  "I think there's a difference between the love for a friend, and the love for a life partner.  Selphie is Irvine's best friend.  That's all."

******************************************************

Quistis shifted under the covers, remembering Cid's words as she tried, once again, to fall asleep.  The echo of his advice to tell Irvine how she felt about him drummed loudly in her mind, poisoning her compassion.  She truly did feel something for the Galbadian gunslinger, but could she come clean with it?  There was still something holding her back, and that was his best friend… _Selphie.  _

"Are you in love with him or not?" Quistis whispered into the darkness of her dorm, wondering how Selphie would have responded the day before had Irvine not jumped between them.  With some difficulty, she turned the question on herself and fought with the begging answer.

_Yes…_

****************************************************

A/N#2: Are you getting more confused?  Good!

And don't forget to tell me how the story's coming along.  Constructive criticism is very welcome. ^_^


	11. Scheming

A/N: Just let me say something right quick!  I was in a weird mood when I wrote this.  Be prepared for some seemingly random, out of place lines.  

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Eleven: Scheming

The doctor was dressed in a long, white lab coat, much like the typical image of a medical doctor.  He held a clipboard in the crook of his arm and a stethoscope curled around his neck.  Glasses perched on the end of his nose, and he looked forty or so, with graying brown hair and a hearty beard.  Therise stood before him, chest clutched in worry.

"Is he all right?" she said quietly, amazingly controlled.

"Your husband is in stable condition.  This is the first stroke he's suffered and so the effects will seem larger than they actually are.  He hasn't been conscious, however, since the night you brought him in.  It may be a few days before he comes to."  The doctor, Matthews was his name, tilted his head at the old woman.  "He should be fine, but we'll have to start being watchdogs from here on out."

Therise nodded, understanding.  "Thank you."

She watched as he nodded politely and strode gracefully down the hall toward her husband's room once again.  Sighing, Therise took her seat and stared at her folded hands.  She needed a light at the end of her tunnel, and she knew exactly where that teenager was. 

"Come on, Selphie…"

******************************************

"Garden has landed outside Esthar," Cid said rather unnecessarily as Irvine was jolted awake by the convergence of the ground and floating building.  The rest of his headmaster's good-natured announcement was drowned out as the cowboy pressed his spare pillow against his exposed ear, grumbling his annoyance.  If it was one thing that put teenagers in a foul mood, it was being wakened earlier than according (amen) and the situation proved no different now.  A few more minutes of half consciousness passed before Irvine realized his dilemma.  Sometimes, one couldn't return to that lovely dream world once the morning shone down on him. But at least he would get something done out of an early morning's wake.  Within ten minutes, he was in the office, staring Cid in the face.

"Morning, Headmaster," he tipped his hat.

"Morning," Cid responded accordingly, "What brings you here?"

"I was just wondering if students had the liberty of exploring Esthar while Garden is grounded, sir."

"I knew someone would ask.  My original intent was for classes to carry on as usual, but seeing as it is a Saturday, I should have expected students to want free reign of Esthar."  Cid removed his glasses, wiped them on a white cloth for a moment and eyed Irvine cautiously.  "I wouldn't allow it usually, but… tell me why I should make an exception for you."

Had he any control over the words coming from his mouth as his answer, he wouldn't have said anything.  Seeing as he didn't, the only reason he could supply for Cid was, "Is being in love good enough?"

A flash of the previous night's conversation with Quistis passed in Cid's mind as the puzzle pieces began fitting.  So they really were caught up in a tangle of relationships… 

Sighing, Cid took his coffee cup from his desk and rose, walking toward the large window that looked out over the first floor lobby.  He stared at the little dots of people walking, most of them toward the cafeteria for breakfast, and took a sip from his mug.

"Take a Balamb car," he said finally, not turning from the window.

Irvine grinned.  "Thank you, sir," he nodded and bee-lined his way toward the door. 

Cid shook his head.  "Kids."

~*~

"How did you manage to get this car?" Selphie couldn't help asking.

Rinoa shrugged.  "Squall said he would need it for his political purposes in Esthar this morning.  Of course he was lying and so that's how we got to go shopping."  The brunette paused, pondering.  "One of the other Balamb cars was taken though.  I don't know who else took one this morning."

"Hmm," was all Selphie said, looking out her window as Rinoa drove.  The city could been seen in the distance, though morning fog hung low on the tall buildings, obscuring them from view.  

Rinoa glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye and turned off the radio.  "… So… how are you and Irvine?"

Selphie looked at her briefly, then back out her window again, shrugging.  "Oh, the same, I guess."

"So you like him?" Rinoa mused, biting her smile.

"Oh, don't even start that again," Selphie flapped a hand.  "I don't like yes or no questions."

Rinoa nodded, backing off, if only for the moment.  "… Seriously," she said, lower this time.

Selphie contemplated telling about the conversation she had with Quistis the other day.  It seemed she wasn't the only one who wasn't blind and could see opposing sides of the war—war?  Could it really have been called that?  They weren't pining for the love of one man… 

"I like him," Selphie concluded finally, considering it a safe answer.  "I might as well admit it now."

Rinoa tilted her head, eyes fixed on the small road.  "Falling for the player—I thought you knew better, Selphie."

"I did!" the petite brunette protested weakly, slouching farther in her seat.  "I did…"

The sorceress beside her shook her head, glancing briefly in her side and rear-view mirrors.  Her voice dropped its sarcasm as she took her foot slightly off the gas pedal.  "Selphie… I don't mean to interfere," she began, choosing her words carefully.  "But we are talking about Irvine Kinneas here …"

Selphie waited, observing her friend through piercing green eyes. "Of course."

"What?"

The Trabian lass leaned back in her seat, looking away.  "Not everyone finds true love in a gunblade-wielding prince who tears down his walls for you.  Some of us have to look a little deeper in the one we love for something to brag about.  Love doesn't need to be obvious, Princess."  Selphie shifted, glancing down at her hands.  She continued after a breath, gathering her dignity.

"There's a music box on my desk in my dorm," she said, tilting her head.  "There's no jewelry in it.  A guy gave it to me for sweet sixteen—can't even remember his name.  It plays Iris's lullaby.  The first time I had it playing in front of Irvine… he started humming along."

Rinoa listened, silent as ever.

"I see him when I look at it, and I think of how he sounded that day.  I fall asleep thinking about it."  Selphie sighed quietly.  "He leaves his car magazines all over my floor, and I step on them more every day.  I open my closet to choose my clothes and everything reminds me of him.  I wore this jacket when we ate out the other day; I wore that shirt when he spilled ice cream on it…"  The brunette shook her head.  "Everything that's supposed to define me is leading me back to him.  That's not something I can pass off as friendship anymore."

Rinoa slowed the car to a stop just before the west gates of Esthar and waited as the bar lifted for them.  The only sound she could respond with was, "… oh…"

"Everyone thinks they know him," Selphie went on, heart running with her.  "Everyone couldn't be more wrong."

Throwing caution into the wind, Rinoa laughed suddenly, flooring the gas pedal and sending them into the traffic of Esthar.  Her hands turned the steering wheel accordingly, though she was a little more than reckless.  "Girl, if you don't call that love, I don't know what you call it."

Beside her, Selphie smiled.  

********************************************************

"Hi, Laguna?"

Putting down his coffee, the President sat up in his chair and squinted at the voice on the other line.  "Yes, and why do you sound familiar?"

"Maybe because I'm the best sharpshooter ever to grace the Earth…"

Laguna smirked momentarily.  "Garden did land today, didn't it?" he said, as much to himself as he did to his younger friend.  "What can I do for you?"

After hearing the other man's story, though not exactly the entire reasoning behind it, Laguna flipped through his phone book before landing on the page with City Council.  "Well," he began, "I have this friend named Pam who might be able to help you…"

~*~

"Wanna go in here?" Rinoa asked, nodding into the arcade with a grin.

Selphie looked in briefly, standing on tip toe to see over the passersby.  "Too many people," she said, returning to her normal height.  "And when you get a concentration of guys in a room, it starts to smell."

"Ain't that the truth," her friend agreed, walking on.  

They had managed to find parking in the mass mall of Esthar, most likely the largest shopping complex in the entire world, and had worn holes in their shoes since lunch.  Their hands were completely empty however; they shopped to look, not to purchase.  The mall seemed to last forever as they walked and walked in one direction, still not coming to a loop.

"So how big is this place exactly?" Selphie said, settling down on a bench in a lounging area complete with fountains, planters, and plush carpet.  

"Huge," Rinoa said off handedly, glancing at the people crowding the mall walkways.  "I'm willing to bet this is where celebrities shop."

"Including us," Selphie threw in, smiling ear to ear.  Rinoa, who was still standing, placed both hands on her hips, looking out over the mall.  At first, the Trabian saw only the clear counters a fair distance behind her, but as her gaze lifted, she saw the sign in loopy gold cursive; _Gregory Jewelers_.

"How 'bout there?" she suggested.

Rinoa turned, her eyes lifting in much the same fashion as her companion moments before.  "Sure.  Just keep dreaming," she finished, nudging Selphie in the ribs.  

Inside the clear (and locked) counters were countless necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, but idea of a "diamond" still rested solely in the ring.  With three saleswomen looking at them intently, both brunettes leaned over the counter to gaze wondrously at the thousand-dollar diamond rings.

"You call $1800 a sale?" Rinoa hissed, pointing to an emerald cut.

"As opposed to $3400, yes," Selphie answered, pointing to a princess cut.  Both women whistled low, their eyes transfixed on the valuable baubles.  Tilting her head, Selphie tapped the glass lightly, pointing to the ring closest to them.  "I like that one."

"Which one?"

"This one right here.  Two karat diamond in the middle, one karat ones on each side.  Gold band, not silver."  Selphie frowned a little.  "That'll be the day, won't it?"

Rinoa nodded, replacing the fallen strap of her purse back on her shoulder and walking away.  "I'll point it out to Irvine one day."

"Shut up."

*************************************************

A/N#2: That was short.  Did that seem short to you?  I only had 1828 words in this chapter… usually, I aim for 3000 and get pretty close.  But I don't want to give away some things in one chapter and then leave it unresolved.  There _is_ a purpose to every chapter—I don't write stalling chapters.  ^_^


	12. Love's Anticipation

A/N: Have I mentioned this story is a sad one?  You might want to proceed with caution.

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Twelve: Love's Anticipation

Quistis awoke to the sound of her alarm, alongside the ray of sunlight falling across her eyes.  Raising a hand, she blocked the light and squinted.  The blue-flamed numbers on her clock read 9:30.  It was Sunday, however, and classes ceased to exist.  Smiling a little, she reached over with one bare arm and flipped the machine off.  At heart she was an early bird anyhow; something that had probably hammered itself into her brain since she came to Garden.

She was fixing her bed when she realized that today was supposed to be special… what was it again?  Halloween?  No, too early.  Labor Day?  No, too late.  What was it then?

Shaking her head a little, the blonde checked her calendar and frowned at the blank spot written under October 4.  Why did some part in the back of her mind tell her that today was different?  Maybe Irvine would know.

She blinked as soon as the thought exited her head, disappearing as instantly as it had come.  Was she some kind of swooney school girl now, thinking about him at her every question?  

"Yes," Quistis chastised herself.  There were times when she didn't want to believe it herself, but the urban cowboy had wedged his way into her liking some way or another.  A crush, a _crush_—who ever heard of such a thing from her? And on the least likely person in the universe, no less.

She pushed her opinions aside as she dressed, brushed her hair and threw it up in a half-hearted bun.  Just as the door was opening to let her out, the metal phone on her desk rang, causing her to stop mid-stride.

Curious, she picked up the receiver before the second ring and held it to her ear.  "Hello?" she said, looking out her open doorway.

"Hey!"

She would recognize that voice anywhere.  "Hi Rinoa," she said, trying to put some cheer in her much lower pitched voice.

"So how's the birthday girl?"

Blue eyes blinked once, then rolled as the blonde mentally kicked herself.  It was her birthday—duh.  "Oh, uh… I'm great, thanks."

"You're so enthusiastic, I see."

"Sorry, Rinoa, I just got up and it takes me awhile to wake up completely," Quistis answered, leaning her hip against the desk.  "I really am okay—I mean, I'm nineteen today."  

"You sure are," Rinoa's voice on the other end agreed.  "So what do you wanna do?"

"Do?" Quistis echoed.

"Yeah!  Shopping?  Movies?  Eating?  All three?  We're in a big city after all."

"Um, actually," Quistis started, thinking once again of the brown-haired cowboy, "I want to stay here and just… relax a little.  You know?"

"Aw, Quistis, come on," Rinoa said, most likely frowning.  "Sel and I can take you to the mall we went to yesterday.  It had a lot of stores; I'm sure you'll find something you like."

The blonde resisted a sigh, checking the time again.  "Sure, Rin.  I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

*********************************************************

Esthar City Hall was alive with people walking and talking animatedly about everything and anything.  The front lobby was old and wooden, the only part of the old library building that hadn't been renovated.  A few benches were placed strategically against the walls, all of them taken up by waiting families or couples.  Looking up, he saw that the sun was just beginning to shine through the skylights in the peaked roof, illuminating small patches of light on the polished wooden floor.

A receptionist sat in the midst of it all, barred from him by a high mahogany desk.  Irvine wove his way through the hustle of people and managed to reach the front desk just as the receptionist turned away from her monitor.

"May I help you?" 

"Um, I was just wanting to see Pam Clark."

The redhead, who couldn't have been more than twenty-five, looked at him with a guarded eye.  Had he been his usual self, he probably would have stayed and chatted her up for a few minutes more.  But he had a job to do.

"… Irvine Kinneas?" she said finally, blue eyes questioning.

He was so surprised she knew his name he didn't even think to answer.  Before he could question her knowledge, she picked up a yellow post-it, read it, and handed it to him.  "The President said you would be stopping by.  He said I would recognize you by the hat."

Conscious, Irvine flipped the brim of his trademark accessory.  "He was right."

"Do you know where her office is?"  When the cowboy nodded, the young redhead turned away, rolled her chair back over to her computer and resumed her typing.  Irvine removed his hat and balled the yellow memo in his hand before shooting it expertly into the waiting trash can next to the elevator. 

"Hello Irvine," was the first sentence out of the elderly woman's mouth as soon as he entered her office.  "I got your attention, didn't I?"

"More than any woman ever has," he answered smoothly.  "I came as fast as I could."

Mrs. Clark nodded woodenly.  "I believe five minutes is fast enough," she said, pulling out a drawer from a nearby filing cabinet.  A manila envelope was procured, and the sight of it almost sent Irvine reeling.  "This is everything we have on Zachary and Cyrene."  She dropped the folder in front of him.  "High school to the grave."

Irvine picked it up, shaking his head a little.  "Have I told you how much you need a raise?  I'll tell Laguna!  He can give you anything you want."

Mrs. Clark laughed, placing a hand at her hip.  "What is it about _records that could make you so happy?"_

"It'll mean more than just knowing who they were," he answered, not in the least secretive, and yet not giving anything away either.  "Thank you.  I appreciate it more than I can say."

"You're welcome."

*********************************************************

Selphie ran down the steps two at a time, dodging every body in her way without so much as a sound.  When she reached the main lobby, she took a turn down the bridge leading to the cafeteria and skirted through the sea of dining students.  The set of double doors leading to the outside picnic area were flung open as she continued her hasty sprint toward the main courtyard.

She was coming to the stone steps when she saw him on the other side, running just like her, anticipating the meeting.  Smiling, she skipped down the last section of stairs and into the empty courtyard where the late sun shone down on the benches, plants, and fountains that decorated the scenery.

They ran up to each other, stopping the other with restraining hands.  Both were breathing hard, laughing at their state, just so they could see each other for… what reason again?

The Trabian lass had just returned from her shopping trip with Quistis and Rinoa when her phone rang.  She sighed a little and picked up the receiver, saying, "What do you want, Irvine?"

"Sel!  Good, you're back.  Will you meet me in the courtyard in ten minutes?"

"What?" she said, throwing down her shopping bags.

"There's something I have to talk to you about.  Just be quick about it okay?"

Bewildered, Selphie's eyes traveled to the clock on her wall.  It was 5:30 and the sun would be setting soon.  "Uh, sure," she answered eventually.  After hanging up, she sat on her bed, running over the hasty conversation.  

_There's something I have to talk to you about…_

What would he have to talk to her about that he couldn't do over the phone?  Irvine was never one for personal visits if he couldn't establish what needed to be known in every other way possible—phone, email, page… the list went on.  She wanted to see him though.  He seemed so insistent.

And they found themselves there in the courtyard, at sunset, desperately in need of oxygen and answers. 

Selphie swallowed, trying to laugh and yet not being able to draw enough breath.  Eventually, she managed to breathe normally and regain her composure, but not before her best friend did.

"I love you."

Stop.  

Selphie blinked, looking up at him with what could only be described as complete and utter shock.  Every emotion in her clashed as his words, wondering, wondering…  What had he just said?  Was it true?  Had she heard correctly?  What did this mean?

Irvine was smiling though, and looking at her with hopeful eyes.  "I'm _in_ love with you," he said, slower this time.  Then he broke into a silly grin, scratching the back of his head.  "And Hyne, I'm not supposed fall in love so soon—I'm me, you know?"

Selphie nodded woodenly, unaware of his question and yet hanging onto his every word.  A fluttering rose in her as her breaths came in shorter gasps.  Her best friend just told her he was in love with her… 

"But we're so close now," he went on, looking her in the eye.  "I feel like you know me better than anyone else.  And for the first time, I want to be with someone… because I love her.  Not because she's just pretty or has a really cute laugh.  I want to be with you."

The brunette in front of him blinked, eyes glassing over as she tried to form a smile.  An immense joy washed over her as she realized what he was saying, had been trying to say for some minutes now.  She loved him more than anyone in the whole world; he was her best friend, he was her soul mate… 

Irvine laughed shortly, chastising himself at his sloppy performance.  "Damn, I hope I can scrape up the courage to say this to her.  I've just wanted to say it for so long, you know?  Every time we were eating together or volunteering at that church…" Irvine shook his head.  "But I just couldn't.  I was too scared she'd turn me down…" he trailed off, sighing into the fast approaching night.

Selphie imitated him, shaking her head slightly in confusion.  "… Who?" she said, barely a breath behind the word.

Irvine turned his brown eyes on her and shrugged like a school boy.  "Quistis.  Who else?"

Thunder rumbled in the distance.  Selphie blinked once, twice as the truth dawned on her features.  The looks in the hall when Quistis passed them… the little talks at lunch… the afternoons Irvine went to volunteer… the dance in the restaurant…

As fast as her joy had surfaced for that one eternal moment, it was gone, replaced with only the cold shudder of truth.  Irvine wasn't saying he loved her… he loved Quistis.  He loved _Quistis_?!

"Here, let's do this again," Irvine said suddenly, patting her shoulder.  "I'll be me, and you be Quistis, okay?"

Selphie blinked away the tears in her eyes, composing herself as best she knew how.  It had been too good to be true, and that was why it hadn't been…

Irvine took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again, on her.  He gazed at his best friend with sincerity.  "I love you."

Selphie swallowed thickly, staring into the depths of his eyes.  Those were the eyes she had seen in her dreams, in her thoughts—all day long as she thought about him, about being with him.  Even if they were best friends, it wasn't enough for her.  She was in love with him… just as he was in love with Quistis.

She was only playing the part of herself when she met his gaze, tears threatening to fall.  "… I love you too."

Irvine smiled a little at her.  "She'll say the same thing, won't she?" he asked.  The hope in his voice tore at her heart, ripping it to shreds, and trampling the life out of it.  At that moment, she was just his best friend.  She would always be his best friend.

Selphie forced a smile and nodded at him.  "Yeah," she answered, "Of course she will."

"Really?" Irvine's eyes radiated innocence.  He was asking her for her promise on Quistis's love.  Oh, the irony…

"… Really," she whispered in kind, the last of her tears blinking away with her words.

Irvine grinned, reassured by the one person he could tell anything to, and had.  A new wave of encouragement washed over him as he looked at his best friend.  She always made him a little stronger.  "Come here," he said, pulling her into a crushing embrace.  

Selphie complied, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against the rough material of his jacket.  She felt water trickle down her face and into his shoulder.  She could only hold back for so long.  But as soon as she thought she was giving herself away, she felt water everywhere, heard it as it pelted the stone courtyard in which they stood.  It was raining.

She could have stayed in his hold for an eternity, but his question led to an answer.  "Should I go tell her now?"

Selphie squeezed her eyes shut against him, holding onto the one she loved for dear life.  The only answer she gave was a slight nod, just enough pressure to tell him she had said yes.

He pulled away after that, unphased by the rain coming down on them.  His smile beamed at her as she stared up at him, expression unreadable.  "You're the best, Selphie.  What would I do without you?"  

Every movement, every word, every essence of him she watched as he turned and walked away from her, mounting the stone steps that lead to his true love… _Quistis_.

Her memory failed her as to when she turned in the desolate courtyard and began walking back inside.  She passed the fountain, the plants, the benches, and even mounted the first few steps of the court with so much as a blink of an eye.  A second roll of thunder rumbled in the distance before she finally broke down, cries echoing in the empty space as she stumbled into a full-fledged run.  The rain only came down harder.

*********************************************************

A/N#2: *Watches as all her Selvine fans turn and walk away, slamming the door shut behind them*  

Please, Hyne, don't flame me too much.  ^_^


	13. Zachary and Cyrene Trepe

A/N: I told you from the very beginning, the **VERY FIRST CHAPTER,** that this story wasn't going to be your average Irvine/Selphie get-together.  And I quote, "Believe you-me, there are some complications in this love story that have a lot to do with a certain blond ex-instructor…"  Thank you.

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Thirteen: Zachary and Cyrene Trepe

Quistis linked her fingers together and popped them once before hitting the Enter key on her laptop.  She sat back in her desk chair with a quiet sigh.  The day was finally coming to a close with her emailing and the like done.  Outside her window, the sun had just set over the Western horizon, bringing behind it a rain storm.  Her half-eaten pasta dinner sat beside her in a take out carton. The chicken alfredo had been Zell's birthday present to her, simple as it was.  She thought it plenty enough for him to run out to Esthar to get it for her, and all for the sake of not having to suffer through organic cafeteria food.

She managed to get in a few more bites when two unexpected knocks sounded at her door.  Curious, Quistis put down her dinner and rose to answer.

"Who is it?" she couldn't help calling.

"Darth Vador," came the muffled answer.

Shaking her head, Quistis pushed the little green button next to the door panel and leaned casually against the wall as it opened smoothly to reveal Irvine's familiar figure.  "Where's your helmet?" she asked.

"Traded it for the hat," he answered, smiling.  She waited for him to say more but when he remained standing there, silent as a statue, she shifted footing.

"… Well, what do you want?" she finally asked, not unkindly.

He shrugged casually.  "A three story house with a German Shepherd and a white picket fence, not to mention a Mercedes--"

"Okay, then why did you come here?" Quistis restated.  She should have known by now that Irvine liked to play with words.

He feigned offense.  "Just wanted to say happy birthday," he claimed, "You only turn 19 once, you know."

"I know," she said.  She crossed her arms.  "I don't feel any different though."

"I can change that," Irvine said, strolling past her into her room.  Bewildered, the blonde turned, dropping her crossed arms.  

"Come on in," she said sarcastically.  He had already made it to her closet and was rummaging through her clothes hangers when she walked up behind him.  "What are you doing?" she asked irritably, though she made no attempt to stop him.

"It's a little chilly out tonight," he answered, selecting her leather jacket.  "Wouldn't want you to catch cold, would we?"

"What are you talking about?" 

Silently, he draped her jacket around her shoulders, grinning when she obediently stuck her arms in the sleeves.  "Are we going somewhere?"

"Yes," he answered shortly.  

"In the rain?" 

"Well… I couldn't actually gift-wrap your present so I just have to take you there," he answered, considering it safe.

Quistis leaned back a little, curious.  "You got me something?"

"Something like that, yeah."

She laughed, shaking her head.  "Something like that?"

He nodded, silent as ever.

She couldn't help but wonder what the impostor in front of her had done with the real Irvine Kinneas.  He was being very secretive and reserved for once.  "What is it, exactly?" she questioned warily, thinking the worst of his schemes.

"Take my word for it; you're gonna love it."  He held out his hand.  "Do you trust me?"

Quistis stared at him as his question hung thickly in the air.  His eyes betrayed no joking manner, no wisecrack nature-just an interested stare in how she would answer.  She looked up at him and felt the least bit intimidated by his towering height.  Nonetheless, she found herself putting her hand in his.

"… Yes," she said in a measured voice.  

Irvine smiled, leading the way out of her room and procuring an umbrella seemingly from nowhere.  The gatekeeper was waving them off a few minutes later when they finally reached open air.  Together, they skipped down the stone steps leading out of Garden, and it was then Quistis noticed the car waiting for them.

"You planned all this?" she turned to her companion whom she shared an umbrella with.

"Oh, I hoped for it," he returned charmingly, some of the familiar Irvine coming back to him.  He opened the passenger door for her.  She thanked him and was ready to settle in the seat when she felt his hand on her arm.

"I almost forgot," he said, reaching into his pocket.  Curious, she watched as he pulled out a solid red bandanna and folded it to form a narrow strip.  "Do you still trust me?" he asked, grinning now.

Quistis looked from the bandanna to him.  "Yes," she answered again, completely unaware of where all this trust was coming from.  Maybe it was another emotion…

He seemed surprised by her quick answer.  So far, things were going far better than what he'd imagined or had even hoped for. 

"All right then," he said eventually, stepping around her and placing the bandanna over her eyes.  She held the umbrella as he tied it in place and came back around to look at her.  "Can you see anything?"

"Does black count?"

Irvine smiled.  "Okay, here's the car door," he said, guiding her into the seat.  "Watch your head-okay, that's good."  He closed the door and quickly ran around to the driver's side.  The blindfolded blonde beside him laughed a little.

"Really, Irvine, you think you can surprise me after all these years?"

The cowboy buckled his seat belt.  "Oh, I think I'll surprise you this time, Quisty.  It'll only be about five minutes."  
Vaguely, Quistis heard the ignition start up and a few moments later she felt the movement of the car.  "Are we going to Esthar?" she couldn't help asking.  It seemed the only logical explanation for Irvine's actions—it was the only city within five minutes of where Garden had landed.  And she had already been there once that day.

"Something like that," was the answer.

She sighed, figuring she wouldn't get much more out of him tonight.  He was doing a good job of keeping her curiosity level at its highest.  She leaned back in her seat, breathing in the "new car" smell of interior.  The blindfold over her eyes obscured her vision completely, even keeping her from peeking through the little slits of light that sometimes appeared near the bottom.  

She laughed suddenly, a hearty and spontaneous burst of amusement.

Irvine eyed her warily.  "I'm afraid to ask."

Quistis smiled.  "It's just… I've always seen those movies where the guy blindfolds the girl and surprises her with some great idea for a date, but I never thought it happened in real life, much less to me."

Irvine smiled a little.  "So you're saying this is a date--?"

"I'm saying," Quistis rushed in, good-naturedly annoyed, "that these kinds of things don't usually happen to me."

"Well," her driver shifted gears, "I guess I proved you wrong, didn't I?"

They were silent for the remainder of the trip.  Irvine tensed just a little more with each passing minute.  They seemed like an eternity and yet he anticipated them at the same time.  Would she be thankful?  Would it make things worse than before?  Would she blame it on him if it didn't work out?  His palms were clammy the entire drive and he was sure he would have reeled off the road and straight into a tree if Quistis hadn't been there.  After all, he was responsible for her safety too.

Finally, after the predicted five or so minutes, she felt the car dip a little off onto the shoulder and then finally stop just a few moments later.  She hadn't noticed that it had stopped raining until the ignition was turned off.

"We're lucky the rain's just over Garden.  Hold on just a second," came Irvine's voice before he got out of the car.  He opened the back door first and then she heard a slight rustle of… _something_.  Her curiosity heightened even more as he opened the passenger door.  A cool rush of night air met her jacketed form.  She felt Irvine's hand grasp hers as he helped her slowly out of the car.  

"Okay, you'll need these," he said, placing a bundle of something in her hands.  Her fingers rolled the floppy stems back and forth in her hands.  Then, with a sudden revelation, she lifted her right hand slightly as her fingers met with soft petals.

"Flowers?" she said, turning toward where Irvine stood. 

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, leading her out onto the grass.  "Watch your step; it's kind of uneven here."

She could tell by the surrounding sounds that they weren't in Esthar—quite the opposite, it seemed.  Had they been in the city, she would have heard the chatter of people, the honking of cars and buses as they crowded the urban streets.  Rather, she heard crickets every now and then, and the sound of the wind as it moved through the trees.  Her best guess was a field of some sort.

"Irvine, where _are_ we?" 

"All in good time, sweetheart."

They walked a short distance in silence, anticipation in  both of them growing stronger with every step.  Nervous and yes, eager, Quistis clutched the flowers in her hand a bit tighter.  He had handed them to her with, "You'll need these," strangely enough.  She realized he wasn't giving them to her, rather, he was saying she would need it for something else… but what?

"Okay, stop right here," he said suddenly, knocking her out of her thoughts.  She paused mid-stride and regained her balance.  Irvine placed his hands on her shoulders.  "Okay, now turn a little bit this way—perfect."

"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" 

"Impatient, are we?" Irvine grinned.  He stepped around behind her and deftly untied the knot of the bandanna. 

Quistis blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light.  Her vision blurred for a moment, but when she finally managed to focus on the sight in front of her, things became crystal clear. 

**_Zachary & Cyrene Trepe_**

_"Do believe I'll never leave you_

_Always I'll be in your heart_

_Don't forget my soul is with you_

_And so we'll never be apart"*_

_Beloved husband and wife, father and mother_

Her initial thoughts dominated her mind.  She was shocked to no end, silenced and speechless for the first time in her life.  She didn't have the ability to form any thought.

"Wha—how… when…" she trailed off, eyes fixated on the gravestone before her.

"That leaves why and who," Irvine commented casually, as if he were discussing the weather or the meaning of life.  He had come back around and now stood beside her, reading the epitaph silently.

"W-what?" Quistis said again, shaking her head of the wild thoughts zinging back and forth.

Irvine cleared his throat, and she finally noticed the manila envelope in his hand.  "I, uh…" he started, coughing again, "I went to Matron and asked her where you came from originally, since she was the only one that knew.  She said they sent you to her from Esthar when you were one or two."  He pulled a packet of papers from the envelope before dropping the latter to the ground.  "City Hall had record of only one Trepe family within the last 100 years, so that worked out real nice."

Still speechless, she took the offered papers from him and scanned its contents.  Her eyes hardly read the text and yet she knew she was reading about her… parents.  The word was unfamiliar in her mind.

"And look here," Irvine came in again after his comrade remained silent.  He flipped a few pages before coming to a marriage certificate.  "Your folks got married exactly one year before you were born, so their anniversary is your birthday too."

Quistis blinked once, twice.

"They, um, managed to tell me where they were buried too.  We passed this graveyard every time we went on a mission to Esthar—bet you never thought twice about your parents being here."  Irvine tilted his head at her.  Her blue eyes were skimming over the information before her, wide and inviting of everything.  Her initial shock was still in full swing, and he wondered if she would ever form a coherent thought again.

Her head was shaking slightly from side to side and her lower lip was trembling with her inability to speak.  Finally, he heard her exhale slowly, her eyes lifting to meet his.  He almost stepped back in surprise when he saw the tears swimming in her blue orbs, threatening to fall at any given moment.  To render the great Quistis Trepe speechless was one thing—to make her cry was another.

"Quistis--?" he said, touching her elbow lightly.

She took a shaky breath, blinking.  It was the one action that sent her tears spilling down her cheeks.  "Oh my god…" she managed to gasp out, wiping her cheek clean.  "I can't believe this…"

Irvine listened intently, hanging on to her every reaction.  She hadn't slapped him yet; that was a good sign.

"Irvine, this…" she swallowed, composing herself.  "This is… amazing," she chose the first word that came to her.  Had she the strength to smile, she would have.  "No one has ever done anything like this for me."

He momentarily looked down, smiling.  "I think you were worth it."  
She looked again toward the gravestone, walking closer as she inspected the words.  Irvine followed her.

"… I don't know what to say," she said softly, looking up at him.  A million emotions were flooding her at the moment-joy, sadness, finality… it was the last thing she had been expecting as his present.  Everything that had been happening for the past month and a half had been so different.  She felt like a little more of her bruised heart was lifted every morning when she woke up.  She wasn't Instructor Trepe anymore; she was a daycare volunteer who played with kids on the playgrounds of churches.  She was a friend to five of the best friends she could have asked for.

Now, as she stood in front of her parents' grave—her _parents_, the very two people she had wanted to know her entire life—her thoughts led from one to the next until they came to him.  He stood beside her, had stood beside her the entire way… and she finally knew.  She was more sure of it than anything else she had ever been sure of in her entire life.

As if from divine inspiration, Quistis finally realized she still held the small bouquet of wild flowers in her hand.  Accordingly, she lay them across the lower slab of stone supporting the grave.  A smile graced her features.  "That's clever, Irvine."

"Well…" he answered, "I figured, you know, flowers for the parents," he reached into his coat, "and a rose for the daughter."

Quistis stared at the single red rose before her.  Everything was coming together so perfectly; none of it seemed real.  She reached out with a tentative hand and took the offered rose, smiling and laughing and crying all together.  She looked again at the papers in her hand, still flipped to the marriage certificate of her parents.  Her eyes close momentarily before she looked back up at him, her heart in her throat.

"I love you."

Silence.  Endless silence.

Irvine searched her eyes for something, anything to tell him she hadn't just said those certain three words to him.  It had to have been his imagination, it HAD to.

Quistis chattered right on incessantly after a pause, her hidden emotions finally pouring out.  "I-I don't even know when it happened, I don't know how, but I know I do.  And I know that I tried to deny it every time I saw you o-or talked to you, but we kept getting closer and closer.  And what with volunteering, and Friendship Day, and the meteor shower, and now this--"

"Quistis," he came in, much to her relief.  "Please, don't try to explain," Irvine swallowed, afraid of the rabbit hole he was possibly about to freefall into.  "Just say it again."

The blonde before him inhaled slowly, using what little ounce of courage she had left in her.  "… I love you, Irvine."

The next moment was a blur as he encompassed her in his arms, and she went willingly, burying her head in his neck.  Finally, _finally_, after so many years of doubt and uncertainty, he was right in front of her.  Love wasn't obvious at all.  It was a sitting, creeping little thing that woke up and slapped its owner whenever it liked.

Hyne help her, she was in love with _Irvine Kinneas_.  The world really was ending.

His breath tickled her ear when he broke the silence.  "I was supposed to say it first, you know."

She squinted, pulling back to look him in the eye.  "What?"

"That's why I brought you out here," he said, stepping away, yet keeping both her hands in his.  "That's why I did this for you."  He took a deep breath, psyching himself up for those terrible three little words.  "I love you, Quistis."

She smiled.  It was music hearing those words.   Wordlessly, she went into his arms again, resting her cheek against the rough material of his jacket just as Selphie had.  Her eyes closed in content as she whispered,

"Thank you."

******************************************************

Selphie stared at the letter before her, eyes transfixed on the familiar writing.  The words choked her of any sound, rendering her speechless as she dropped unceremoniously to her bed and read over the words once again.  Both Therise and Solan's image flashed in her mind as she remembered the last time she had seen them.  She was standing in the doorway of the train, waving them goodbye and watching as they smiled in spite of her leaving.

It would mean full commitment if she complied now.  The decision was so easy and yet so hard… Determined, the brunette spotted her phone on the table and reached for it with a shaky hand.  

"Yes, I'd like to know what train leaves tomorrow for departure to Trabia…"

*****************************************************

A/N#2: Am I getting corny with these love confessions?  I think I am.  That's not good…

*Epitaph: http://www.poemsforfree.com/dada.html 


	14. Her Last Request

*****************************************

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Fourteen: Her Last Request

She had slept through the night in complete happiness. The return trip from the "birthday present" had been silent—words hadn't been needed any longer. And that night, when she climbed into bed, a permanent smile seemed to work itself into her features. The morning when she woke was pleasant as well, sun shining and rainstorm past. When she saw him again, walking toward her room just as she was coming out, she was prepared to smile and embrace him, but his expression stopped her cold.

He sputtered, explained things in a great haste, so much that she had to tell him to slow down. In the aftermath of confessing their love, the last thing that she had expected was a difficult situation. Yet, there they were, chasing down a certain sorceress for answers to which Quistis didn't even fully know the questions.

"Rinoa!"

The brunette paused in her tracks, tensing at the insistent voice behind her. She closed her eyes, forcing the promise back into her throat, preparing to throw it in the bastard's face…

"What do you want, Irvine?" she said casually, turning around to face him. He stood a few feet behind her, a familiar blonde in similar fashion behind him.

"Is it true?" he said, eyes pleading the truth from her.

The sorceress crossed her arms. "Is what true?" she challenged.

Irvine stepped forward, towering over the female. "Is she gone?" he barely managed to rasp out.

Rinoa diverted her attention to the water filling the bottom of the main lobby, battling her conscience. She had promised Selphie. She mustn't forget that one simple little fact…

'Oh screw the promise. She's leaving the man she loves!' Rinoa screamed to herself, facing Irvine once more. "… I-I couldn't stop her…"

He stepped closer, using intimidation to his advantage. He was never one to brag about his size or stature, but it was well understood by every woman anyhow. "Where?" he said quietly, coldly composed.

Rinoa averted her gaze. "Northside. Train leaves at noon—Irvine!" she cut off, calling after him when he turned and walked away from her, most likely heading for the Garden cars. His hasty walk returned Rinoa's gaze to the blonde who had stood behind him the entire time. Now, as the two women looked at each other across the space of mere feet, a silence hung dense between them, the air becoming stale. Perhaps something kin to sorrow flashed in Quistis's eyes, but it was gone the next instant, replaced by only a knit brow and an expression of apology. She had finally begun to understand.

Silently, with the most reserve she had ever shown her friend, Rinoa turned on her heel and walked away.

*************************************************************

"Selphie!!" Irvine called out over the hustle of passengers in Esthar's busiest train station. So many girls had brown heads of hair—how was he supposed to find her in this mess? Beside him, Quistis stood on tiptoe, looking out over the crowd. She patted his shoulder lightly.

"Irvine, you check up there," she motioned to the front cars of the still train. "I'll look back here." 

Irvine nodded, looking in the windows of the train. All the while, he kept one eye on the crowd, calling her name every now and then. He was almost to the first passenger entrance door when he saw her, sitting in her seat, head hung low. Stopping, he momentarily hit the window, not to get her attention, but as a measure of success in finding her before she left. 

Selphie turned at the sound, emerald eyes widening when she met the brown eyes of her best friend. What was he doing there? He shouldn't have been there, not now. Hastily, she wiped her nose, red from crying. Irvine could be a persistent one. She saw him hop on the stationary train a moment later, barely five seats from her. His expression was unreadable as he walked up to her, and for the first time ever, she felt intimidated by him.

"Selphie," he said, reaching her in record time.

The brunette stood, absently grabbing her carry-on bag in the seat. "Irvine," she acknowledged, not meeting his eyes. Was that a sniffle that escaped her?

"Selphie, what are you doing?" he asked seriously, watching her every movement.

Selphie closed her eyes. The story had to come out now that he was there, and had obviously heard only half of it from Rinoa. The Trabian took a deep breath, sniffling as if she had a cold. "I, uh, had foster parents after the orphanage was destroyed," she started, trying to speak indifferently. "Mom wrote yesterday, and my dad's just had a stroke…"

"Are you crazy?" he cut into her solemn story, taking the bag from her hands. "You're going to leave in the middle of the term?"

"Irvine, please," she said quietly, reaching for her bag. Other passengers were already beginning to shoot wary looks at the pair.

"Will you look at me, Sel?" he said, holding the black piece of luggage away from her.

Sighing, the brunette finally lifted her eyes, staring at him the way she had the evening before, when he confessed his love to Quistis. And not her.

"You have to understand--"

"No, you have to understand, Sel," he interrupted her. "You're leaving right in the middle of the semester and you think it's okay? Come on, you're getting off this train right now."

The brunette snapped to attention at his words, shocked that he would go as far as to stop her from leaving. "W-what? No, Irvine," she followed him down the aisle as he made his way to the door. "Irvine, I have to go." She made a second attempt to grab her bag from him. 

"Selphie, you can go after Christmas, all right?" he answered her, not looking over his shoulder.

"Irvine, please--"

"Look, I'm sure your old man means a lot to you, but you can't just take a vacation."

"Irvine, will you listen to me?"

"After Christmas--"

Selphie stopped behind him at the door. Just before he stepped off, her voice cut into his determination. "… Irvine, I wouldn't come back even if I waited until Christmas."

The bag in his hand suddenly weighed a ton of bricks. Form noticeably stiffening, he placed a hand on the seat closest to the door and turned slowly to face his best friend. The silent question was in his eyes, and she could have answered just as silently, but she needed to say it. It would remind her, give her the strength to walk away from him.

"I'm not coming back, Irvine."

Her words pierced the very center of his heart as he stared at her, eyes hinting at no other emotion than betrayal. Selphie's eyes filled with fresh tears as she watched his reaction to her decision.

"… So that's it," he said finally, coldly quiet. "You're quitting Garden… you're leaving me." His hand balled into a fist around her bag. "And you didn't even tell me."

Oh no, he was NOT going to turn the tables on her. He was NOT going to make her look like the one at fault; not now that she was leaving him. "Irvine…" she trailed off, heart twisting at the hurt in his eyes.

"Okay then," he supplied for her, dropping her bag at her feet. "Fine."

And without so much as a glance, he turned his back on her and stepped off the train, never once looking back. Selphie knit her brow, confused and yet so knowing at the same time. She stepped in the doorway, calling after him. He couldn't leave it like this. _She_ couldn't leave it on bad terms—how would she live life knowing she had pushed away the one person she cared for the most? Not telling him in the first place had been easier. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, but now that he knew her decision, she wished she hadn't been so quick to jump to conclusions.

"Irvine! Irvine, I'm not joking," she said desperately, not daring to step off the train. She would never step back on if she touched the same ground as him.

He disregarded her.

"I'm leaving, Irvine," she said through the glistening in her eyes, needing to get through to him and yet not having the same effect any longer.

"So go!" he said coldly, waving a hand.

"Irvine, please--"

"I don't care, Selphie!"

He hardly noticed walking right by Quistis. The blonde stood just a few feet from the door, watching the two as they said their last words to each other. What she had expected to be a heartfelt plea had turned out to be a cold, dismissive command. She had come to the front to tell him she couldn't find Selphie anywhere, but apparently, he already knew her location. And they'd obviously had a conversation in her absence.

Quistis looked at Irvine as he walked past her, not even acknowledging her presence. Her eyes were fixated on his stiff form as he tried his hardest to walk away from Selphie without looking back. She knew how much he was really hurting, though all the pain was hidden under a bitter shell of anger. 

A horn whistled, consuming the heavy silence between the three and signaling the last call for Trabia-bound passengers. 

Quistis swallowed, looking back and forth between the two. They knew, they _knew_ they wanted to turn and embrace each other—why didn't they? Understanding shining in her eyes, the blonde lifted her gaze to Selphie just as the lass looked back at her. And she knew. She finally knew.

And regardless of the heartbreak, the tears, the shattered hopes, Selphie only looked at her older sister figure with a genuine smile. It would be the last time she would smile at Quistis.

All three heard the harsh train whistle. Irvine stopped suddenly, the sound jolting him out of his anger-driven state. Reality seemed to settle in again as the whistle blew a second time. Metal parts screeched and churned, pushing the train forward. And finally, the constant _thunk_ of the wheels echoed as they met with the track, bar after bar.

Irvine turned to face her, and met her eyes instantly—she was looking at him. She was slowly beginning to drift from him. Irvine mentally kicked himself, sweeping aside his pride and chasing after her. "Selphie!" 

Quistis raised one hand to rid her face of the single tear that had fallen. She watched him run after his best friend, hands fisted together against her heart.

"Selphie!" Irvine said, reaching the doorway and holding onto the metal guard bar. He ran alongside the still slowly moving train as his best friend looked down at her from her higher position on the few steps. "Selphie, why do you have to go?"

"My parents need me, Irvine," she said weakly, watching him run to keep up with her.

"And I don't?" he returned, dodging bodies on the platform.

Selphie's heart twisted even more, clawing at the fact that he did need her. She was his best friend, and he, hers. Shaking her head, Selphie gestured vaguely with one hand. "You've annoyed me enough, Irvine. Now go bother Quistis," she said, laughing through her tears.

"But it won't be the same," Irvine said. "Who am I going to play basketball with?"

"You always lost anyway," she said shortly, a sad smile tugging at her lips.

"Selphie, please…" he seemed like a lost little boy, running after his one stronghold. "I already lost you once…"

If her heart didn't break in two at that very moment, it did when the train picked up speed. She was running out of time. Breathing hard, she shook her head at him. "Wasn't meant to be," she told him. Her gaze momentarily wandered down. "And stop chasing after those stupid girls, you hear me?" she scolded him good-naturedly, knowing perfectly well that he would never have eyes for any girl other than Quistis.

"But," he began, and then stopped suddenly as he slowed, the train accelerating more with each passing moment. "But I'll miss you!" he called to her disappearing form.

"I'll miss you too," she called back, smiling one last time at him. 

He stopped completely, helpless as he watched the endless depths of her shining emerald eyes. She was getting farther and farther away. It was an eternity and yet just a moment before the last car passed him and Selphie, _his_ Selphie, disappeared from his sight. He stood still, breathing hard from the run, and watching in the last moment before she vanished as the wind blew her hair from its clipped confines. 

Quistis closed her eyes, head bowing as she walked up behind him… her love. Her hands were still clenched against her heart, a look of revelation in her eyes…

*******************************************************

__

That day I realized, perhaps I had come between your father and Selphie. And not only their friendship, but their love for each other that they would never know what Fate had plans for if not for me. Selphie's silence told me everything, and that day, I was sure she loved your father. Perhaps even I couldn't love him as much. Selphie never called or wrote… she had walked out of our lives, out of your father's life… forever.

Your father used to say that love is friendship. Yes, I was his friend, but I could never be his best friend. Because of this, I could never hold the place of his true love. And maybe then, he would have realized that Selphie was the one for him.

They were best friends, and deep down, first and true loves. Marriage, children, and circumstance aside, this is the one thing that will never change. Find Selphie, and return her to your father. They are meant to be together; this is the truth, and this is my last request.

I'll always be with you, Selphie.

Love, Mom

********************************************

****

INTERMISSION

I swear, ff.net gets more ridiculous with its rules every single f*ckin' year. Yes, this is the intermission of the story now, because it's far from over, but I had to remove the little note I had between these two chapters that take us out of flashback in into the present again.

Selphie still has to find Selphie. Get some more coffee and read on. ^_^


	15. The Letter Changes Hands

A/N: Sigh.  I honestly never thought I would get to this half of the story so quick.  But now that it's here, I guess I really have to develop some crucial scenes.

By the way, for those of you who have seen the movie, here are the parallels.

Selphie                     Anjali

Irvine                        Rahul

Quistis                      Tina

Rinoa                        Rifat bi/Grandma

???                            Aman

Little Selphie          Little Anjali

Cid                             Mr. Malhotra

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Sixteen: The Letter Changes Hands

Looking momentarily around his kitchen, Irvine reached for the glass coffee pot still on the dish rack and filled it with water.  A moment later, he flipped the button on the coffee machine and waited for the bubbling sound before opening the refrigerator for breakfast items.  On the top shelf sat a carton of eggs and beside it, pancake mix.  After a moment's contemplation, he found the eggs would be more filling and found himself reaching for the left item.

It had been necessary to learn how to cook, being the single parent he'd been for the past eight years.  And he was exceptional at many dishes, though not extraordinary by any measure.  At least Selphie never minded his cooking.

At the thought of his daughter, he paused momentarily in his cooking, thinking back to the conversation he and Rinoa had had in the backyard the night before.  She thought Selphie needed a mother, and alongside it, he needed a wife.  She hadn't said it like that, of course, but it was the dominating thought in the back of her mind.  Rinoa was like that.

He continued scrambling eggs, checking the time every now and then.  Selphie was usually up before eight o'clock.  Her friends would show up at lunch for the birthday present opening.  Sighing, Irvine contemplated staying in the kitchen for the majority of the time.  At one point in his life, he would have loved to be surrounded by women, but these were mothers, most of them ten years his senior and yet with the same age daughters as his little Selphie.

The sound of feet bounding down the stairs knocked him out of his thoughts.  A moment later, his daughter appeared in the kitchen, a white letter in her hand.

"Morning, Dad," she said brightly, skipping over to him.

"Hey, Squirt," he returned, watching as she hoisted herself onto one of the stools at the bar.  The envelope in her hand caught his attention.  "Your mom's letter, eh?"

"Yep," she chirped happily.  "I read it already.  All six pages, front and back."

"You did?" he feigned surprise.  "Your mom didn't throw any big words at you, did she?"

Selphie smiled, shaking her head.  "No."

Irvine smirked.  "Funny.  She always used them on me."

His daughter nodded, observing her father's tall form.  His hair was short now, the cowboy ponytail long since gone.  And he never wore hats anymore.  She had seen pictures of his younger days, and what a sight he had been!  That was what he must have looked like when Selphie left…

Irvine caught his daughter staring at him and eyed her curiously.  "So…"

Her blue eyes blinked innocently.

"You gonna tell me what it says?" he went on, smiling slyly.

The little figure crossed her arms and shrugged.  "Ah… no."

"Aw, come on Sel," he said, turning off the stove.  "You said you could tell me anything."  Walking over, he lifted her up out of her seat and set her down on the island counter in the middle of the kitchen.  "So why can't you tell me about the letter?"

Selphie pouted.  "You knew her; I didn't.  Let me keep this one little thing of her to myself?"

Irvine smiled.  "… Sure," he said, completely unknowing of the fact that the majority of Quistis's letter was about him—him and the woman his daughter was named after.

Selphie smiled to herself.  How she loved keeping secrets.  And this secret was definitely the best she had ever been let in on.  All through the night as she read and reread the letter, she wondered what the real Selphie had looked like.  Was she short, tall, medium?  What color hair did she have?  What color eyes?  The questions swam in her head, practically itching for answers that only her father could supply.

Well, not necessarily. Maybe she would pay Rinoa and Squall a visit later on…

"Can we eat breakfast now?" she asked him, eyeing the frying pan.

"That hungry, huh?" he said, lifting her off the counter and watching her scramble into the dining room.  "Set the table, okay?" he called after her.

***************************************

Rinoa picked up the last paper cup from the living room, sighing at the piles of wrapping paper strewn across the carpet.  It was 2:15, and the last of Selphie's friends and their mothers had just climbed into their cars and driven off.  Both the brunette and her fiancé stayed after to help clean up.  Irvine's living room would have taken forever to clean had it been only himself and Selphie doing the work.

"So has Selphie said anything about the letter?" Squall asked suddenly, making sure to keep his voice down for fear of the father and daughter in the kitchen hearing him.

Rinoa tossed the paper cup into a waiting trash bag and began balling the wrapping paper in her hands.  "Nope.  Didn't even mention it.  Why do you ask?"

The former Commander glanced through the open archway leading to the kitchen.  "She let me read it."

"What?!" Rinoa screeched, trash bag dropping from her hand.  

"Keep it down!" Squall hissed, shooting her a glare.  He shook his head a little and continued crinkling the wrapping paper.  "She handed it to me this morning when we got here," he began, his voice barely audible.  Rinoa leaned closer.  "She told me to let you read it after I was done."

"Why would she let us read it, though?  And for that matter, why did she give it to you first?" Rinoa whispered back, helping him crinkle paper to drown out their conversation.

Her fiancé smirked a little and pulled the envelope out of his pocket.  He held it out to her.  "Rin, if you had read it this morning, you would have hung Irvine by now."

The brunette squinted.  "What?" she hissed.

Keenly hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Squall sent a tense look to the doorway and turned back to Rinoa.  Before she could protest, he wrapped his free arm around her and kissed her, silencing any question.  She felt him smoothly slip the letter into her back pocket just as another voice cut through the air.

"Whoa!  Check the PDA's!" Irvine said, turning his head and shielding his eyes.

Rinoa pulled away from Squall, calmly reaching back to stuff the letter farther in her pocket.  "Ahem, sorry, Irvine," she said quickly, stepping away.  "We were just finishing up."

"I'm sure," he said, lowering his hand.  Selphie peeked out from behind him, her little head just hitting his hip.  She grinned and winked at Rinoa, earning a small smile from the sorceress.

"Sorry, man," Squall said in his quiet, solemn way.  But Rinoa didn't miss the small smirk that passed his features.

With a wave, Irvine excused them and continued on his way to the staircase.  Selphie looked briefly to Rinoa before clasping her hands behind her back and lingering after her father, a smile on her face.

In unison, the engaged couple looked at each other, shrugged, and gathered the remains of the trash.  Selphie watched them from the top step, elbows braced on her knees.  When they left a few minutes later, she sighed a little and spotted the computer in the living room.  Smirking, she rose from her spot and skipped down the stairs.

********************************************************************

"I knew it!  I KNEW IT!!"

Squall calmly turned from the boiling pot of water in front of him and watched as Rinoa flew down the stairs of their house and reared into the kitchen, the pages of Quistis's letter divided in her hands.

"I knew it!" she declared again, shaking the papers at her fiancé.

Squall squinted.

"He did love Selphie," she said, quieting and sitting down at the kitchen table.  "And Quistis knew it too," she said softly, then returned to her frenzied state.  "Why didn't she ever say anything?"

"It was too late," Squall supplied for her, turning back to the stove.  "And Irvine did love Quistis—probably still does, but it kept him from seeing his love for Selphie.  And now look where we are."

"After all this time…" Rinoa paused, thinking.  "We haven't seen Selphie in eleven years."

"Haven't even kept in touch with her," Squall added, almost feeling guilty.  "But that was what she wanted."

"That was what she said she wanted," Rinoa corrected, flipping the pages of the letter.  "I could tell she was upset because of Irvine.  It was easier for her to run away from her problems with the excuse of a sick parent."

Squall raised an eyebrow at his raven-haired fiancée.

"Oh, I'm sure there was some sincerity in that too," she went on quickly, "but the timing was a little too coincidental."

A moment passed in silence.

"… But I guess I'm one to talk, huh?" Rinoa leaned back in her chair.  "I know how it is when you gotta get lost."

Squall's eyes flickered in her direction for a fleeting moment.  Of course, she was talking about the teenager she had been when she ran away from home… from her father.

"Rinoa!  Squall!"

They looked in unison to the doorway just as a familiar little figure blurred through and hopped straight into a chair beside Rinoa.  

"What was she like!  What was she like, huh?"

"Whoa, whoa, hold it, little lady," Rinoa said.  "What was who like?"

The little brunette looked back and forth with her eyes before cupping the side of her mouth with one hand.  "The REAL Selphie," she clarified in a conspicuous whisper.

"Ohh…" Rinoa said, looking up just as Irvine passed through the kitchen archway.  

"Hey guys," he greeted cheerfully to the couple as his daughter pouted a little.  She was sure she had run fast enough to get an answer out of Rinoa before Irvine appeared and found her out.

"Hi," they both replied in controlled surprise.  Rinoa casually folded the letter in set in her lap, away from view.  

"What brings you here?" she asked, looking up at Irvine.

"Selphie left her coat here last time," he said, hands in pockets.  "And she's going to need it to go out."

"Oh really?" Rinoa's eyebrows rose.  "Where are you taking her?"

"To a play," Selphie answered, dragging the sorceress out of her chair.  "It's a musical too!  It's called Pigmalee!"

Rinoa stumbled up the stairs after her eight-year-old friend, whom had her hand in a surprisingly strong hold.  "Uh, I think you mean 'Pygmalion.'"

"She means 'My Fair Lady!'" Irvine called after their disappearing figures.  He smiled and shook his head a little.  Squall was looking at him curiously.  "Selphie's always had this thing for musicals."

"Which Selphie?" Squall mumbled under his breath, remembering his old friend who also liked to sing throughout the day and pretend she was starring in those old movies.  

"What?"

"Nothing," he answered, smiling in spite of himself. 

********************************************************

"Brown hair, and if the sun shone on it just right, it looked a little red."

"Hmm," Selphie answered, picturing the woman.

"Green eyes," Rinoa went on, "and she wasn't the tallest person in the world.  I'd say she fell somewhere between 5'1" and 5'2"."

"Was she pretty?" the little girl questioned, eyes hopeful.

Rinoa had to smile.  "Of course she was."  After a pause, she added, "Just like your mom."

Selphie's face almost automatically turned serious as she remembered the pictures of her mother hanging around her house.  They were all black and white, however--her father told her that the photographer specialized in that field and gave lower prices for it.  That was why she hadn't even known that her mother had blue eyes until the previous night when Rinoa had informed her.  

An idea surfaced in Rinoa's mind, and she smiled suddenly.  "I think there's something you should see."

Intrigued, Selphie followed her friend's form out the door and watched as Rinoa looked in both directions, making sure Irvine wasn't in view of the stairs.  Then, stepping out into the hall, she moved down a few doors before coming to Squall's study.  Selphie followed her in, quite unfamiliar with the room.  She had been in Rinoa's house numerous times, but Squall's office was an off-limits sort of place.  

"I think I got to keep a copy all these years," Rinoa was saying as she opened a file cabinet and rummaged through the loose contents.  

Selphie watched her with one eye on the door.  "What is it?"

Smiling, the sorceress pulled out a single digital camcorder tape and read its label for confirmation.  "Yep, still here.  You get tired of seeing your mom in black and white, don't you?" her question was thrown over her shoulder at the little girl behind her.

The brunette nodded.

"Well, we can't keep things secret anymore," Rinoa said, almost to herself, as she nudged the drawer with her elbow and closed it to lock position.  Smiling, she handed the tape to her small friend.  "Watch this when you get the chance.  And make sure your daddy isn't around, okay?"

"Okay," Selphie answered promptly, turning the small cassette over in her hands.  Her gaze lifted after a few moments.  "… How am I supposed to find her?"

Rinoa paused.  "… Well…" she began, sitting down in an office chair.  "When she left Garden, she was heading for Trabia.  She went to Garden there before coming to Balamb.  Whether or not her foster parents still live there is what you have to find out."

"But who would know?"

"Garden," Rinoa answered promptly.  

Frowning, the little girl before her paced the carpet in front of the large window.  She had never been to Garden, and she would have a hard time convincing her father to let her roam his memory lane.  

"I think I've got a way," Rinoa spoke up again, eyeing the telephone on Squall's desk.

**************************************************

A/N: My patience is wearing so frickin' thin.  I just got a new computer and of course it doesn't have Word, and so now I have to wait for my brother to come home from college so he can bring the frickin' software!  And he won't be home until Valentine's Day!  ARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, so anyway, I've had to type my stories at SCHOOL, of all places.  That's why this chapter was a little longer in coming, but once I get Word on my computer, things will be updated quicker. Next chapter: Rinoa's plan goes into action as she helps Selphie find Selphie… did that make sense?


	16. Plans for Polaris

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Seventeen: Plans for Polaris

Whistling, Zell paced the carpeted bridge outside the main office and eyed the door for a long while before returning his gaze to the elevator.  Every now and then, a SeeD or instructor walked by, and he smiled at them cordially.  They would think he was just Zell Dincht, up for a stroll and waiting patiently to speak with the Headmaster.  

The door opened, and the blond martial artist cast a sideways glance at the secretary who walked out, not bothering to acknowledge his presence.  Casually, he walked in after she left and came across Xu, barred from him by a depressingly neat desk.

"Zell," she acknowledged, pulling papers out of the printer while she spoke.  "What are you doing here?"

Frowning, he leaned a hip against her desk and crossed his arms.  "I need your help."

She emotionlessly raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you have access to Garden records?  You know, being Cid's little helper and all," Zell fiddled with her paperweight, a dainty glass swan that looked much too expensive.

She stood and snatched it from him, placing it back on her desk.  "Yes, Zell, but you're not using me to get information."

"Oh, come on, now why would I do that?" 

"I've been asked that question too many times."

"Xu, it's for a good reason."

"Enlighten me," his senior said, sitting back down and returning to her printer.

He sighed a little, looking out over the empty office.  Cid's door was closed.  "Remember Selphie?"

His friend looked up, her brown eyes blinking once, twice.  "Selphie?  Of course I do."

"Remember how she hasn't been around for eleven years?" he continued, seemingly amused by the fact.  Xu nodded slowly, clearly not seeing his message.  

"Remember how Garden keeps records of where all its students and SeeD live after they retire or quit?" he pressed on, still not egging her, but not giving up.

Xu's pointed gaze fell back in recognition and she sighed a little.  "Zell, you want to find an old friend, look on the internet.  I could get fired if I give you personal information about Selphie.  We most likely have both her Balamb and Trabia Garden files, but it's not like they become public domain after she leaves. "

A little deflated, the blonde shook his head and started a slow walk to the door.  If it hadn't been for Rinoa calling him the day before, he wouldn't be there, trying to get a personal file on an old friend.  He always wondered what had happened to Selphie, and why she left so suddenly after she had saved the world.  After Quistis died, Irvine seemed to agree with him.  He would look at his daughter, call her name, and almost wish it were his best friend.  He, no doubt, missed her more than any of them.  He had a mini-Selphie, though.  According to what Rinoa had told him, she was certainly determined to find the woman she was named after.

He was mere feet from the door when a small, brass object whizzed by his head, connecting with the white wall opposite himself.  Bewildered, he bent to pick up the tiny piece of metal, and realized it was a file key.  He turned to face Xu.

"Tell her I said hey."  She smiled a little before turning back to her work.

Grinning, Zell tossed the key up in the air and caught it handily.  "Thanks, Xu."

She waved him off with one hand.  

************************************************

Rinoa raised her fist and knocked soundly on the door of her neighbor's house.  Several moments later, she could hear the faint sound of feet bounding down the staircase before the lock clicked.  The door pulled open to reveal Selphie's smiling figure, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hi, Rinoa," she greeted, stepping back to let her elder in.   

"Hey, Sel," the brunette returned, abruptly cutting off when she saw Irvine walking up behind his daughter.  Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, in it, all the confusion, loss, and memories that the past decade had etched into their hearts.  Rinoa looked at Irvine, her eyes easily interpretable as apologetic.  They both knew that only one Selphie had ever been referred to in such a way…

"… phie," Rinoa finished, smiling down at the little girl between them, who by now was staring at her elders with a confused look.  She masked it in time to smile at her father and pat his arm.

"Can't you stay home today?" she asked for the twentieth time that morning.

Irvine's attention turned to his daughter as he smiled.  "I already took off work yesterday for you, Squirt.  I'm not my own boss, so I can't just show up for work when I feel like it."  He ran a hand through her hair before leaning down and kissing her goodbye on the forehead.  

"Thanks for looking after her, Rin," he said, straightening.  "I'll be back around five."

Rinoa nodded and gently closed the door after him, mentally kicking herself.  She hadn't slipped names like that for eight years; why was she starting now?  Selphie looked up at her with an expression that could only be described as—

"What was that about?"

Shaking her head, Rinoa lead the young girl to the living room.  "Nothing, honey.  I think your daddy and I just forget which Selphie you are sometimes."

The fresh eight-year-old rocked once on her heels, and clasped her hands behind her back with a coy expression.  "She was pretty," she agreed suddenly, changing subjects so smoothly that Rinoa found herself blinking in impression.

"You watched the tape already?"

"When I got home last night from the play."  Frowning, Selphie kicked gently at the carpet.  "Mom didn't like Dad yet, did she?"

Rinoa paused in confusion before breaking into a hearty laugh.  She could very clearly remember watching Quistis push Irvine away after his attempt at popping… or whatever it was he had been trying to do.  Who would have thought those two would be responsible for the little girl in front of her right then?

"No," Rinoa answered finally, stifling her amused chuckles.  

Selphie shifted, remembering how her mother had looked.  The pictures around the house had always given her a good idea, but seeing the video had been like finding vision after an eternity of blindness.  She finally _saw her mother, heard her voice, and watched her movements as she first rejected Irvine, then spoke to Cid, and tried desperately to keep Zell from choking.  There was still one very important person she was leaving out of her thoughts._

She was the young, cheerful girl in the beginning.  Her emerald eyes were the first image that had come onscreen, but they were gone the next moment.  Curious, Selphie had watched, transfixed, as her parents engaged in an interesting wrangle of arms.  Some odd seconds later, the same green-eyed girl appeared again, skipping onscreen and then telling Irvine to turn the camera right side up.  Unaware that she was doing so, Selphie had reached for the remote and paused, gazing at the still of her mother beside Selphie… the real Selphie.  This was the woman she could possibly have called "Mom."

"But that night doesn't justify anything," Rinoa continued, waving a hand.  "That was before things picked up again and life at Garden returned to normal.  Once we started going back to classes, relationships changed."

Selphie nodded woodenly, thoughts still concentrated on the video she had watched.

Rinoa eyed her companion a moment before breaking into a smile.  "I think I've got something that will get your attention," she said, pulling out a small piece of paper from her pocket.  "Here."

Selphie took the crinkled flatness and examined the handwriting with a frown.  It was an address in Trabia.  The little girl looked up in surprise.  "Zell?"

"He told me he had to twist some arms to get it, but it all worked out in the end.  You can always count on Zell.  Why don't you call her?" Rinoa suggested, reading over the paper once more.  _Selphie Tilmitt, 4143 Apple Valley, SE Trabia 44301._  Scribbled underneath was the number 544-987-6501.

"But what do I say?  Uh, hi, my dad needs a wife and I heard you were his best friend once, so can you come visit us and see how well you hit it off now?"  Selphie fell back on the couch with a sigh.  Rinoa nodded, silently agreeing.  The prospect of finding Selphie had been the main concern up until now, when they finally had their target located.  The next step was proving harder than the first.  

"There has to be some way she can meet up with Dad again," Selphie said suddenly, eyes fixated on the ceiling far above her head.  Irvine's house wasn't large by any measures, but it was split level, and the same wooden beams acted as the ceiling for all three floors.  "But it has to seem subtle… natural.  Old friends meet up again all the time, don't they?"

Rinoa raised an eyebrow cynically.  

"But she lives so far away," Selphie continued, blue eyes roaming over the upper level of the house.  "And there isn't something I can set up that would seem natural."

Without warning, she hopped off the couch and walked swiftly over the telephone on the end table, punching the yellow button and hearing the dial tone.  Rinoa sprung into action, also rising from the couch.  "What are you doing?"

Selphie read the number on her small piece of paper and shook her head.  "There's something I just thought about…" she drifted off, thoughts focusing on the number.  Five-four-four-nine-eight-seven-six-five-zero-one…

"Hello?"

The female voice radiated through the air on speaker-phone as the two matchmakers looked expectantly at each other.  Was it Selphie?  Rinoa shook her head slightly, staring hard at the telephone as if trying to decipher its meaning.  She didn't remember Selphie's voice being so… unexpressive.

"Hello?" the voice came again, more insistent.

Selphie blinked, catching herself.  "Uh, hi!" she said brightly, emitting all the essence of an eight-year-old.  "Could I speak to S-Selphie please?"

Hope surfaced in both girls for a long, fleeting moment as they waited for the answer.  

"Selphie?  I'm sorry; you must have the wrong number."  

Both brunettes looked quickly to each other in confusion.  

"Is this 4143 Apple Valley, Southeast Trabia?" Selphie came again, reading steadily off the paper. 

"Yes, but… oh, _Selphie_!  Right, she was Therise's daughter that I never had the chance to meet.  I moved in this house three years ago, and there was an elderly lady with a daughter named Selphie who previously lived here.  They moved to Bell Isle in Central Trabia, I believe."

Selphie almost lunged for the phone, leaning over to catch every word.  "Do you know the number and address?" she said, fighting the urge to bark her questions.

"If you'll hold on a second, I can check my phone book."

With that, the two were left in silence as they stared across the phone to each other.  

"Therise was her foster mom's name," Rinoa reported truthfully.  "She told me about them the night before she left--her foster father was Solan."

"But she didn't give you the address?" 

"I don't think she trusted me enough not to tell Irvine," Rinoa answered glumly.  "Go figure."

"Okay, I think this is it right here," the voice came again, "What I've got is 236 Bell Isle, Trabia 34456."

Frantically, Selphie waved Rinoa over to the table for a pen.  She obeyed, reaching for the certain cup and plucked out the closest writing utensil, which happened to be a highlighter.  Selphie frowned, but snatched the bright pink pen and scribbled the address just given to her.

"And the number?" 

A pause.

"Are you a family member?"

The little brunette resisted rolling her eyes.  On complete impulse, she replied, "Yes, I'm her niece."  Well, the information wasn't too far from the figurative truth.  Quistis and Selphie had been like sisters, hadn't they?

The pause on the other end radiated doubt.  However, the voice of a little girl wasn't near as suspicious as, say, a male voice.  "It says here… 919-877-0034."

"Thank you," Selphie said quickly, "I appreciate it."  And with that, she pushed the hang-up button and heard the distinctive click followed by the dial tone.

"That was very nice of you," Rinoa mused, chin in hand.

"Hmm," was Selphie's only response, examining the new information on the piece of paper.  She looked up at Rinoa.  "Now what?"

********************************************

Rinoa leaned against the arm of the couch when she heard it.  Years flooded her memories as images of Garden flashed across her mind like a film projector.  They were all there, happy, young, and full of pride for what they had accomplished.  Hearing her voice brought back her first memory of the petite messenger girl many years ago when she stood behind Squall in that yellow dress of hers.  They had been on the Forest Owl train.

"… Selphie?" Rinoa said almost to softly for the speaker-phone to pick up.

"Who is this?" the voice on the other end asked, suspicion lacing her question.

The brunette smiled and resisted a sigh of happiness.  "I'm insulted, Sel.  I thought you would still know your favorite sorceress after all this time."

There was a quick inhale of breath before the old friend whispered out, "… Rinoa?"

"There's only one."

"Oh my—is this a joke?"

"I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find you," Rinoa went on, proving her reality with the facts she knew.  "I'm just glad you're still alive," she laughed a little.

"Hyne, I can't believe it's you!" Selphie's voice flowed out over the room, unknowing of the little eight-year-old who stood by the phone, listening intently.  "How long has it been?"

"Seems like forever," Rinoa answered.  She had to keep reminding herself that the wedding, the birth, _and the funeral were all unknown to her old friend.  What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, but what she would eventually know would most likely make her faint.  Over the phone wasn't the right way to tell her.  "So how have you been?"_

"I've, uh…" Selphie paused, considering her choices and still too much in shock to form a coherent thought.  "I'm great; how are you?"

"The same.  Squall and I live in Esthar now."

"_Esthar?!  You went all out, didn't you?"_

"Yeah, kind of," Rinoa laughed.  "We left Garden after Qui—um, three years after you did."

"Oh…. so, how is everyone?"

She sounded timid suddenly.  Rinoa sent a brief look to Selphie before answering.  "I'd kind of like to know that myself," she lied, clearing her throat nervously.  "I've only been keeping tabs on Squall all these years."

Both women laughed, but there was an uneasy pause in conversation.  For a long moment, Selphie looked from Rinoa to the phone, expecting at least one of them to come out and say it already.  There were two possible phrases: How's Irvine? and But I do know that Irvine's doing well.

"So are you two going to get married or what?" Selphie said finally, breaking the ice.

Rinoa smiled, tempted to tell the truth, but it would mean meeting up with the bubbly brunette before her mini-me would.  Engagement was something you kept secret for as long as possible, in this situation.  "Well…" she started, feigning thoughtfulness, "we've talked about it, but there's no rush to get married.  Not like we're old or anything." 

"Rin, we're twenty-eight years old."

"Oh, shut up," she snipped.  Selphie laughed on the other end.  Irvine's daughter tilted her head, eyeing the phone with an almost dreamlike look.  It didn't pass entirely unnoticed by Rinoa, but she soon launched into a "Do you remember?" mania with Selphie as the eight-year-old listened patiently.  She was young, but she had a wondrous imagination, and hearing Selphie's voice was an inspiration.  This woman did exist, and she would meet her in the near future.

After a good ten minutes of reminiscent conversation, Rinoa quieted suddenly, remembering the main reason for the phone call.  "So, uh, what are you up to this summer?" she asked, winking at the youngster who still listened to their conversation.  "Maybe we can meet up somewhere."

"I won't be anywhere near Esthar, that's for sure," Selphie said, laughing shortly.

"So where will you be?"

"Polaris."

"W-what?"

Selphie laughed.  "It's a city, Rin.  You know, establishments where a species known as humans live within the same vicinity?"

"Haven't lost the wit, I see," Rinoa commented dryly.  "So where is this Polaris, now that I know you're not talking about the North Star?"

"Galbadia.  Halfway between Timber and Dollet, basically.  I've worked in a summer camp there every June to August for five years now."

Rinoa and Selphie exchanged a surprised look, the same thought forming in both their minds.  Important information was being revealed.  Inspired, the little girl swiftly covered the distance between herself and the computer before clicking the Internet icon.  Typing _Polaris, Galbadia summer camp in the search engine, she tapped her finger against the desk and waited for the results.  Rinoa watched her with one eye as she continued her conversation with Selphie._

"Really?  A summer camp?  What's it called?"

"Camp Walden."

Rinoa snapped her fingers at her little friend.  Selphie nodded and scrolled expertly through the city's web sites before finding Camp Walden.  She sent a thumbs up over her shoulder at Rinoa.

"So you go swimming, make crafts, and basically play all summer long?" 

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't," Selphie laughed.  "And those kids are really great."

Rinoa blinked and straightened suddenly, an idea scratching at the surface of her thoughts  "So it's only for kids?"

"Any boy or girl elementary school age," Selphie confirmed.  "You know me; I can get along with anybody."

"Uh huh…" 

"But I would love to see you and Squall again.  Maybe I can drop by Esthar after camp and before I go back to work here in Trabia."

"That would be great," Rinoa agreed.  "We'll think of something."

"All right.  Hyne, it's so weird talking to you again!"

Rinoa chuckled.  "I'll take that as a comment."  She sighed, a new sense of closure washing over her, filling in the void of the past decade and some.  "We really missed you after you left, Sel," she said softly.  "All of us went through a lot together."

"I know… I know…"

"We've got to keep in touch this time around, you hear?" Rinoa could almost see Selphie holding the phone, smiling sadly at the memories of a certain best friend she had left behind.  

"Yeah," she said finally, trusting that the years had repaired some of her broken heart.  "We will."

"I'll call you later, okay?  There'll be more time to talk about everything that's happened," Rinoa gently placed her hand on the hang-up button.

"Sure.  Bye, Rin."

"Bye, Sel."

Selphie turned from her computer as the dial tone pulsated through the air.  Rinoa turned it off after a moment, meeting her little friend's gaze.

"Camp Walden," she said shortly, and rose to read the monitor screen.

"'Admitting of any elementary age boy or girl interested in fun, health-improving activities for the summers away from school,'" Selphie read the first line of the introduction.  Rinoa picked up after her.

"'A completely safe and memorable experience for kids.  The costs are low, and the registration deadlines are coming fast, so sign up today.  Camp Walden welcomes every child and works to make everyone's summer vacation the best it can be.'"  
Grinning, both brunettes looked at each other and nodded.

***********************************************

"Selphie, you're not going to that summer camp."

The little brunette was on her father in an instant, tailing him around the house as she slung her defense at him.  "Come on, Dad!  You're the one who always says I need to do something other than sit around the house when school's out.  Every kid goes to summer camp at least once in their life!" 

"She has a point, Irvine," Rinoa chimed in, walking up beside him and motioning for Selphie to do the same.

"Oh, don't even start with me, Rin," Irvine cut her off.  "Arguing with you two is worse than going up against a T-Rexaur with nothing but Exeter and a few rounds of ammo."

"But it'll be fun, and I'll meet people!" Selphie went on, her little voice cutting into her father's heart.

"And it's very affordable," Rinoa added.  Behind Irvine's back, she exchanged a tense look with Selphie.  The fact that they were trying to convince him to let his daughter go to Camp Walden _after_ they had already registered online, booked flights, and made hotel arrangements was having its setbacks.

"Let her go, Irvine," Squall said suddenly, sitting calmly on the couch.  "It's just a summer camp.  She's not enrolling in Garden or anything."

"No," the father answered, frowning at the idea that his daughter and his two house guests were on the opposing side.  

"Dad!" Selphie protested, hands on hips.

"Selphie, you know that I have to leave tonight for a business conference in Deling City tomorrow through the end of next week, and you want me to let you run loose to some camp in Polaris?" Irvine shook  his head.

"You do always say she should do something during the summer," Rinoa pressed on, trying every approach before she would cancel the plans.

"I'm supposed to say that; I'm a _father_," Irvine declared, mounting the stairs.  Both females followed him.  "What I really mean is that I want Selphie here, at home, where she's protected.  Okay?  And no camp director is going to do a better job than me."

'But what if it's SELPHIE?!' Rinoa screamed in her head, dangerously close to the last centimeter of her patience gauge.  'Your best friend and soul mate, for crying out loud!!"

"But Irvine--"

"I said no, Rinoa," he said again, grabbing his suitcase and returning downstairs.  

Squall watched the interaction with amusement.  Earlier in the day when Rinoa had come to him with the master plan, he had been skeptical, but he knew Irvine would eventually be lead to Polaris.  It was only a matter of time.

"I'm going, you're staying.  Understand?" Irvine said, pulling open the front door and looking pointedly at his daughter.  She looked away from him in silent disappointment.  Sighing, he dropped to one knee and crouched at her eye level.  "Hey," he said, softer this time.  "Feel bad?"

Her little head bobbed up and down, but she didn't meet his gaze.

"Sorry," he said, tapping her on the nose.  She nodded again, forgiving him.  He stood and took a deep breath.  "But this doesn't mean you can go," he announced suddenly.  "We'll discuss this when I get back."

Rinoa sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Love ya," he said, ruffling Selphie's hair.  Then, to Squall and Rinoa, "See you guys next week."

"Bye," the engaged couple said in unison, dead enthusiasm radiating off the walls.

He went out the door and winked at his daughter before closing it.  A moment later, the sound of a car engine was heard as it roared away toward the airport.  Silence spread through the house. 

Rinoa placed her hands on her hips and turned to Selphie.  "You packed?"

"Yep."

"Good.  We leave in the morning."

Squall shook his head with a flattened smile.

********************************************

A/N: Hot damn, this chapter was long.  Or, longer than usual for me, at least.  Do I seem like I'm stalling?  I just got that impression when I proofread.


	17. Compromise

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Eighteen: Compromise

"Recap me on this again, Rin," Squall said, leading the way down the aisle of the plane.

"We'll get to Polaris at 5:00, eat dinner, then check into the hotel. Camp starts in four days, and in that time, we have to make sure we don't bump into Selphie anywhere in the city," his fiancée answered, following him.

Between the two walked Selphie, her little form looking curiously around the plane. It was her first time flying.

"Once camp starts, you and I will stay at the hotel until Irvine comes. His conference ends next Friday, so we're going to send him a letter either Wednesday or Thursday, telling him that Selphie went to camp anyway. He'll be so mad and worried that he'll fly down to Polaris instead of back to Esthar."

"And then when he gets to camp, he'll meet up with Selphie again," Selphie finished proudly. "Genius, I tell you."

"Yeah, one problem," Squall said, letting the two females into their seats before settling down in his aisle seat. "How exactly are we paying for all this?"

The two brunettes looked at each other a little guiltily. Tense, Squall silently prayed that they hadn't taken money out of Irvine's account. Or his, for that matter.

Finally, Rinoa broke into a smile. "Cid's a great man, you know that?"

****************************************

The full moon shone brightly on the Gateway Hotel as car after car pulled into the spacious parking lot. Standing proudly as one of the world's finest five-star luxury hotels, Gateway sported 200 rooms complete with restaurants, swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, and the main feature of that night—party halls.

A magnificent fountain was settled just before the front doors of the hotel, bathed in a soft orange light emitting from below the waters. A statue of Venus stood in the center, her body untouched by the water.

Inside, hundreds of wealthy guests filled the main lobby, chattering and laughing in their respective circles. Off to the right stood the entrance into the Guilford Ballroom, and standing on one side of the doors was a certain elderly lady who was welcoming guests as they walked through.

"Therise!"

The woman turned at her name, smiling when she realized it was only Bianca, Heath's mother. 

"So, is she coming down or what?" Bianca said, reaching her friend's side.

Swiftly, Therise checked the large grandfather clock in the lobby and sighed. "She said twenty minutes. I'll go get her," she agreed, walking off into the large ballroom. With controlled hurry, she crossed the circular dance floor and mounted the spiral grand staircase. The upstairs rooms were alive with bridesmaids and their families as Therise searched her way through the excited chaos for her daughter. 

Selphie turned from the mirror, long hair whipping as she heard Therise's voice. "Mom, over here," she called, waving her over. Therise stopped mid-stride and smiled.

"I can't believe you're getting engaged," she said, sighing. "Seems like only yesterday I adopted you."

Selphie smirked and held out a dangly diamond earring to her. "Longer than that," she answered, tilting her head as Therise put the gold post in her ear.

"Beautiful," she said, stepping back. "You look like royalty."

Selphie stared down at her copper-colored dress, shaking her head at the expensive length of silk. "I'd rather be in jeans and a sweater," she answered, running a hand over the fabric.

Therise nodded, silently agreeing. She sent a quick glance over her shoulder. "Come on, we'll be starting any minute now. They were telling everyone to gather in the ballroom while I was coming up here."

"Where's Heath?" Selphie asked.

"He's waiting for you at the stairs."

To say that the ballroom looked marvelous was an understatement on her part. As Selphie reached the top of the circular staircase and looked down over the gathered guests, she couldn't help but blink once and pinch herself. Never in her life had she been exposed to such luxury. Gardens were decorative places, but they were designed for the opposing purpose. She had fought her entire adolescence just to come to this point, where she stood, at her own engagement party. 

"I know I've been bombarding you with these society parties," a voice said, coming to her side. She looked up to find Heath standing there, his gaze out over the guests. "But this one's in favor of you."

Selphie shook her head slightly, smirking. "Do you feel better now that you've said that?"

"Hey," he said, turning her toward him. She looked up finally, standing her ground. "I said it wasn't easy being with me."

"You also said you would make it as easy as possible," Selphie retorted. "I think you could have done a better job."

Heath laughed, backing a step or two from her. "Hyne, Selphie, what do you want from me?"

She let out a tense breath and returned her gaze to the waiting guests. "I want you to go bankrupt. And then some," she answered, turning back to him. "I think we're supposed to walk now." And with careful discretion, she raised her arm for him.

The couple descended the staircase in time as the thickening crowd applauded. Selphie looked around steadily.

Her simple heart had grown up in the country. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a GF junctioned, and childhood memories had crept back into her mind as the years passed. Edea's orphanage was a quaint stone house by the ocean, which left plenty of room for imagination. That was something she had in spades.

Yet recently, she found herself in magnificent ballrooms, party halls, ballets, and operas. Deep down, she still knew something was missing.

The dancing started presently as Selphie was lead to a glittering circle of people; she noticed Bianca among them. The men wore spiffy suits, and their wives looked just as dolled in their dresses. The event wasn't so formal to the point of tuxedos and gowns, but it fell somewhere between that and Sunday dress. 

"Ah, the bride and groom to be," Bianca said, seeing her son. The people turned, eyeing Selphie head to toe. Their expressions seemed to say, 'So this is the little girl that stole Heath Llewlyn's heart.' She stood her ground, glaring back at them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't believe I've officially introduced to you to my lovely fiancée," Heath said, motioning smoothly to Selphie. "Selphie Tilmitt. Selphie, this is my board of directors."

"So nice to meet you," she smiled at each of the men and their wives in turn. They nodded politely enough and one or two returned the expression.

"Well, congratulations, Heath. She's absolutely exquisite," one woman said, her arm coupled with a kind looking man, one of the few who had smiled back.

"Why, thank you, Mrs. Presley. I must say it wasn't easy catching this little bird," Heath answered, grinning at Selphie. She shook her head in unison with Bianca.

"Women never are," one of the men spoke up, earning a chorus of agreement from the others.

Therise looked down on the scene from her position near the top of the staircase. She stood partially hidden behind one of the large columns and watched as her soon-to-be son in law talked gaily with his guests, and Selphie, beside him, responded politely to their comments. There was a smile on her daughter's face, but it never quite reached her eyes; those shining emerald depths that held so much. Slightly knitting her brow, Therise looked on the scene a moment more before descending the staircase.

The party carried on, hours upon hours of the same routine: greeting people, smiling and charming them, and finally walking away only to come upon another board director, or lawyer, or banker in Heath's company. After what seemed like the Seven Nights of Lilith's Hell, the last guests were finally saying good night, and truthfully a very early morning, and Selphie was able to sit down for the first time. Therise appeared next to her almost magically and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You shouldn't give into temptation," she said, "You know you just have to climb those stairs again."

Selphie groaned, cupping the side of her head. "I think I'll just fall asleep here."

"Ha! You almost fooled me into thinking you enough spunk to last till morning," Therise patted her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but I have to unscrew my smile," Selphie retorted, moving her mouth awkwardly, feeling the tension in the muscles.

Eventually, mother and daughter made it back to the hidden upstairs dressing rooms, though little was said on the way. Selphie reached her vanity, contentedly sitting on the cushioned bench. The dressing area was completely empty now; all her bridesmaids had gone to their rooms. With slow effort, Selphie slowly began to remove the large, gold bracelets from her wrists. Therise sat down beside her, helping the valuable accessories off her hands.

"… Selphie?"

The brunette momentarily looked up, pulling free one of the bracelets. "Hm?"

Therise slid the other off before placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. She looked her steadily in the eye. "Are you happy?"

Selphie blinked once, twice, before shying away from the older woman's touch. A small laugh escaped her as she stood, walking over to a chair. "What kind of question is that? Of course I'm happy."

Therise stood slowly, unmoved by her words.

Selphie looked down at the diamond ring on her hand. "I've gotten engaged," she began obviously, as if checking off items on a shopping list. "I've made—too many friends, that's for sure." She smiled slightly, hesitating before her next words. "… Heath is really nice. He loves me and…" 

Therise shifted, silent.

Selphie lifted her foot onto the chair, reaching down to take off her shoe. She remained silent, waiting for the question she knew her mother was going to ask within the next few seconds.

"But do you love him?" 

It was amazing to think that in the great rush of events that the past six months had thrown on them, they hadn't had the time to sit and pose the most obvious questions behind the engagement. Everything had changed so suddenly, and Selphie wasn't the only one to get caught up in the wave. For the first time since they had announced their engagement, Therise was finally beginning to see a glitch in the situation. 

Selphie never answered her, opting only to slip off her other shoe. With passive thoughtfulness, she turned and slowly lowered herself into the chair, hair falling forward. "… I've already loved once, Mom," she said softly, distantly. "I don't think I could do it again."

As the light caught the diamond on her hand, it also caught her attention. She fingered the expensive bauble and looked at Therise. "Just think of this as a compromise."

"Compromise?" Therise echoed unbelievingly. Selphie averted her gaze, realizing her wrong choice of words… well, was it really? 

"I always thought you would marry for love, not for a compromise," Therise said, saying the word like an infection. "You're making a choice that is going to affect the rest of your life."

Selphie closed her eyes.

"And maybe even the lives of others," Therise continued, keeping her tone logical. There was no logic in the situation now, but she would bring some if it meant her disgrace to a wealthy family like Heath's. "Selphie, a family built on compromise creates a house, not a home."

Her foster daughter looked up.

Therise opened her hands. "The rest is up to you." 

On silent feet, she turned away and returned to the ballroom. Selphie looked after her, the 

ring on her finger weighing more with each moment.

***********************************************

Selphie sat on the bed of the hotel room, flipping busily through the stapled sheets and various documents. She passed a high school diploma, a marriage certificate, and several job applications and evaluations before coming to a stop. Intrigued, she leaned over and peered closely at the medical history in her hand, steadily reading the lines of information. 

Rinoa emerged from the bathroom in her pajamas, fresh from a shower. She toweled it one-handed as her gaze wandered to the little girl sitting atop the queen-sized bed she would be sharing with the sorceress. "What are you reading?"

Selphie didn't look up as she flipped another page in the stapled packet. "My grandparents' lives," she answered monotonously.

Rinoa stopped, walking over to the bed and settling down beside the eight-year-old. "Is that…?"

"The trials and tribulations of Zachary and Cyrene Trepe " Selphie quoted, still monotonous, and focused on the papers in her hand. She straightened suddenly, squinting at the page. "Did you know that my grandma was a teacher at JR Young Elementary School?" Selphie shook her head. "Two streets over and I would have been in that district."

Rinoa nodded absently. "Your dad never showed you these before?"

The little girl shook her head. "I haven't even been to their grave since kindergarten. Mom's buried beside them, and it's only a ten minute drive, but I think Dad just got sadder every time we went." Her voice dropped a few decibels. "I stopped asking after a while."

Rinoa nodded again, silently understanding. For all her innocence, Selphie understood many things about life. Being raised without a mother seemed to make her grow up faster than most children. Rinoa had always been a prevalent female figure in her life, but it had never been maternal in any way. She stood as an older sister in the little girl's eyes, and always would. 

"Did he ever actually tell you he found Quistis' parents for her?" she went on quietly.

Selphie shrugged. "He never told me a lot of things, obviously," she flapped a paper noisily. "Like why I'm named what I am."

Rinoa leaned back slightly. "Well…" she began slowly, "If you want to get technical, we never told you either."

"Not on our own," Squall said from his place on the couch. 

Rinoa smirked at him. 

Selphie lent them only one ear and spoke up after a moment's silence. "Hey, did you know I'm one-sixteenth Hispanic?"

"What?" both Squall and Rinoa demanded in unison.

Selphie held out a single sheet of paper. "Says here that Cyrene Trepe was one quarter Yaridan*."

"Give me that," Rinoa took the page, eyes running over the text. "… That means Quistis was one-eighth and we never even knew it."

Squall raised an eyebrow. "She certainly didn't look the part," he said, remembering his friend's hair of spun gold and eyes of purest azure. Her last name reflected only French descent.

"One-eighth doesn't contribute that much," Rinoa said, still reading. "Not like I would know firsthand, but just theoretically."

Selphie flipped through a few more pages and skimmed the contents as Rinoa picked up the stack of papers she had already been through and set them on the night table. "It's getting late," she said, watching as her two roommates both glanced at the clock on the far wall. "And you've got camp in four days," she said to Selphie.

"I'll manage," Selphie supplied almost immediately. 

Rinoa's brow creased. "How did you get a hold of that folder anyway?"

"After I read Mom's letter, I looked for it in my Dad's desk. It was buried underneath a lot of other stuff, so I figured he wouldn't notice it was missing." Selphie paused, shifting. "I wanted to take it along so I could read through it."

Rinoa lifted the covers on her side of the bed, throwing Squall an expectant look. He understood it perfectly as, 'She better not be up past midnight, or else.' Then, with careful precision, she maneuvered herself under the blankets without disrupting the papers on Selphie's side. 

"Good night, everyone."

************************************************

A/N: Just a reminder that Selphie Tilmitt has no knowledge of Irvine and Quistis being married, having a daughter, or Quistis dying. Basically, she's just blissfully ignorant.

*Yaridan is a something I got from the mythology of my native people. They resembled Hispanics to some degree.


	18. Maybe My Parents Liked You

A/N: I've had some of my friends asking how to say these names, so for the general public, if someone were ever to read this aloud, though for what reason I don't know, here it is on record.

Cyrene"sigh-REEN"

Therise"there-EECE" (rhymes with fleece ^_^)

And also, this first scene was largely inspired by The Parent Trap (1998).

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Nineteen: Maybe My Parents Liked You

Rearing a right, the bus trudged along down the well-paved, unmarked path. Trees lined both the left and right shoulders and created a slight canopy over the camp entrance. Shortly, the road widened into a lot and the camp buses pulled in, lining up one after the other.

Selphie hopped off the last step of the bus, hauled her backpack onto one shoulder, and placed her baseball cap firmly on her head. Briefly, she surveyed her surroundings. The small lot where the buses were unloading swarms of children was continued by a farther path meandering toward the girls' bunks. The boys' side of camp was across the lake from them. In a well-sized clearing off to the right lingered picnic tables, gazebos, and a wooden playground. A rock path led down to the lake. From where she was standing, Selphie could just make out a few paddle-boats as they bobbed on the water next to the wooden dock. Flying proudly above the scenic resort was a large banner with the words _Camp Walden_ painted across, white against blue.

Squinting slightly, the little brunette minded the shoulders of the other children as they poured out of the buses and conversed excitedly around her. How would she ever find Selphie in this chaos? Doing what any eight-year-old would have, she stood on her tiptoes and looked over the heads of her peers for any adults. Gathering near one of the picnic tables was a group of children who jumped and laughed as they surrounded a man in dark green shorts and a white, Camp Walden T-shirt. He mounted the picnic bench, elevating himself and procured a clipboard from under his arm. Another camp official walked up and handed him a megaphone as he began to announce bunk assignments. 

Frowning, Selphie looked around again as her eye caught sight of similarly dressed adults who tried to disperse the growing confusion of children. None of the women even remotely looked like the girl in the camcorder video…

"Hey!" she protested suddenly as a girl was shouldered right into her, knocking the bag from her grasp.

"Sorry," the blonde said almost immediately, turning to face her victim. "Hyne, it's always like this the first hour," she said, picking up Selphie's bag from the ground. As she handed the light luggage back to her, she squinted a little, tilting her head. "You must be new."

Selphie shrugged. "First time at summer camp… like, ever."

"Ah, you'll be all right," she said assuredly, "You can hang with me and my friends. I've been coming here every summer since I was five."

"Wow," Selphie said shortly, blinking. Then, with the inevitable ease it took for children to make friends, she perked up. "My name's Selphie."

"Anya," the blonde replied, smiling. "Just stick with me and Kaylo and you'll have a great time."

"Who's Kaylo?"

"Whoo!" a voice came at the two, followed by the figure of a taller girl with braids. "I made it through the crowd!" she announced proudly, sighing. "Man, I love summer camp."

"Yeah, yeah," Anya said, flapping a hand impatiently. "Kaylo, this is Selphie—Selphie, this is my friend Kaylo. We're both from Timber."

"Hey," Kaylo said casually, her laid-back nature very evident. 

"Hey. I'm from Esthar," Selphie supplied.

"Cool!" both her new friends exclaimed in unison, their eyes widening. A little confused, the brunette backed up a step.

"What's so cool about that?" she said, looking from one to the other.

"Isn't that where all the movie stars live?" Kaylo asked, frowning in her contemplation.

"Kinneas, Selphie!"

Irvine's daughter turned at the sound of her name through the megaphone. She waved a hand at the camp official. 

"Right here!" she shouted above the chaos.

The man checked the clipboard a second time. "Reihl Bunk!"

"Hey, that's where we are," Anya said, high-fiving Selphie as the three girls set off through the crowd toward the cabins. 

"So…" Selphie began, remembering her new friend's words of attending Camp Walden since the age of five, "do either of you know a Miss Tilmitt here?"

"Oh yeah!" the two girls, one on either side of her, answered. 

"She's, like, the coolest instructor this camp has," Kaylo said, emphasizing her statement with a swipe of her hand.

"And everybody calls her Miss Selphie—hey, you two have the same name!" Anya said wondrously, easily amused by the fact. "How'd you know about her?"

"Oh, I just heard Mortimer talking about it," Selphie lied, earning a laugh from both the girls. Mortimer was the official head director of Camp Walden, and was a short man with a balding head and spades of spirit. Prior to departing for camp, he had climbed on each and every one of the buses with the same speech:

"We have to live life to the fullest!" he would begin, pumping his fist in the air, "And how do you children do it? By attending summer camp!"

Selphie had rolled her eyes and promptly placed her headphones over her ears as music replaced his voice.

"Kaylo and me both said last year that Mortimer had this thing for Miss Selphie and nobody believed us! So on the last day, he actually proposed to her in front of the entire camp, and she turned him down _flat_!" Anya declared with a hearty laugh.

"Liar," Kaylo said from Selphie's other side. "If you ask me, she was way too nice about it. She was like, 'Oh, but we have a very professional relationship to keep up.' Ha! Boy, if I'd been up there, I would have said, 'You'd have better luck with Barbie!'"

Selphie laughed, shaking her head. It was mean, but it was funny, and humor overrode a lot of things. After a moment, her friends returned to normal and she casually posed another question. "So have you seen her yet?"

Anya looked thoughtful as she slowed in her walk. "Doesn't she usually help with snacks on the first day?" she asked Kaylo. The braid-tressed girl shrugged.

"I think she's over in the picnic area," Anya concluded, pointing in the general direction. Selphie looked over her shoulder and above swarm of children, hopeful. 

"Uh, you guys go on—I'll be up in minute," she said, dropping back. Shrugging, the two Timber-based girls turned and continued up the path toward the Reihl Bunk Cabin. Selphie correctly linked her arms through her backpack and worked her way through the crowd. Three adults in the same white T-shirts and green shorts passed her, and a few others stood in the crowd with clipboards, whistles, and baseball caps. The picnic area wasn't as dense with children, but there was a small herd slowly gathering around one particular table. It was then that a bright array of colored balloons caught her attention. The strings were loosely braided together and gathered in the hand of a woman. The eight-year-old watched, just in time, as she moved the balloon cloud out of her way and smiled at the children quickly surrounding her. 

Selphie's steps slowed almost to a complete stop when she saw her. She was different from the other adults there. Instead of the camp apparel, she wore a sleeveless, white summer dress that stopped just above her knees. Her nearly waist-long coffee brown hair fell in a soft wave, and her vibrant green eyes radiated warmth and kindness.

The world seemed to move in slow motion. She watched as the brunette happily dropped to one knee, level with the children, as she selected a balloon in the shape of a cat for the little girl nearest her. Almost immediately, the other children held out their hands, eager for a colorful prize. 

Selphie tilted her head, a wistful look falling over her features. Her eyes softened, became vulnerable as she watched her father's long-time friend. Every movement, every smile, every blink of her eyes seemed to tell a story. It was the same story her mother had written across six pages the night before her death. She, Selphie Maila Kinneas, had waited eight years for this moment. She had _lived_ eight years to come to this point, standing not twenty feet from who she was truly searching for—a mother. 

After what seemed like a concentrated eternity, Selphie finally walked up to the picnic table, hands clasped in front of her, the dreamlike look on her face unchanged. She was barely conscious of the little boy who had run up ahead of her in his hurry to grab the last balloon in Selphie's hand.

"Hi!" Selphie said brightly to the cute child in front of her. "What's your name?" she asked. Grinning, the boy only snatched the balloon from her hands and ran off in the opposing direction before she could even blink. "Hey--"

Inspired by an unknown force, she looked past his disappearing figure and saw another child walking towards her. She seemed different somehow. She walked calmly and with definite purpose. It most obviously had nothing to do with the balloons she had just handed out. She seemed drawn to her, almost as if they had known each other before…

She came to stand right in front of her, a peaceful look on her face. Selphie held out her empty hands with a weak smile. "Sorry," she said apologetically.

"It's okay," the little girl answered, a small smile creeping into her features. There were plenty of other chances to receive balloons in life. 

"So what's your name?" Selphie asked, partly for conversational purposes and partly because she was wondering why she felt she knew this girl in some remote way. She had to be a newcomer to camp.

"Selphie."

"Hey, that's my name too!" Selphie offered her hand. Politely, the eight-year-old took it and they pertly shook hands once. 

"Why is your name Selphie?" Selphie asked with all the innocent curiosity of a child. She was thoroughly enjoying the undercover act.

Selphie blinked, bewildered at the question. Admittedly, she had been surprised at the fact that she shared a name with the mysterious little girl in front of her. It was not a common name at all, and she briefly wondered who had named the child. "Um…" she started, creasing her brow and consciously tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She knew by now that children were curious little creatures. "Maybe my mom and dad liked the name," she suggested logically enough. Pointing, she returned the question. "Why is _your_ name Selphie?"

Selphie half-smiled, a twinkle in her blue eyes. "Maybe my mom and dad liked you," she suggested logically enough. Without further ado, she turned and walked away, leaving Selphie knitting her brow in amused confusion. For a long moment, she stared after the little girl. An odd feeling passed over her; it was familiar and new at the same time, almost as if it were something she had experienced before, but with a new twist this time.

Shrugging it off, Selphie rose from her position on one knee and returned to the mess hall to help prepare the first dinner.

*******************************************

"I'm personally going to strangle her," Irvine grit out in a vain attempt not to crush the letter in his hand. He recognized the writing as his daughter's, and the star bedecked stationary was what he had bought for her at the mall the week before. Still, the voice behind the words echoed no other intention than that of—

"Who?" 

"Rinoa," he spat the name like a disease. Shaking his head, he read the letter over again, which consisted mostly of his little Selphie telling him that everything was well at CAMP, and that she hoped he wouldn't be too angry with her for wanting to be like any other eight-year-old. "I knew she was going to do this one day," he claimed, falling into the nearest chair.

His co-worker, Yash, who had accompanied him on the business trip, raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"I started out as a really young father, okay?" Irvine went on, seeming to ignore his friend's question. "In some ways, I still am because most guys my age are just getting married. And I've already been widowed and raising a kid for eight years now. So the day Selphie's born, I'm thinking Hey, what if I set a bad example for her in some way? What if I let her hang out with _Rinoa_, Hyne forbid, for most of her life, like I have, and she ends up just like her?" Irvine shook his head. "And that day has come," he said with a measure of finality.

Yash resisted a roll of his eyes as he sat down on the couch of the hotel room. "I've only met Rinoa twice; she seemed pretty nurturing."

"She has been," Irvine agreed, "But to an extent. Sneaking Selphie off to camp in Polaris is going to give Selphie the idea that she can disobey me as long as Rinoa's in on it too."

"Maybe you're just being too strict?" Yash came again, his practical nature showing through. "All kids go to summer camp—it's coded in their DNA."

Irvine fixed his eyes on the paper, vaguely wondering when Selphie's writing had switched to cursive. They were teaching her cursive in school already? "… I'd never been away from her for more than a day before this trip. I guess I felt like I always had to be there…" he paused, looking off, "… to make up for the fact that Quistis wasn't."

Yash, who had yet to sire children, nodded understandingly. "You have good intentions, Irvine. But you know there's only one way to make up for Selphie not having Quistis around."

"Not you too," Irvine grumbled. 

"I know this girl--" Yash went on, laughing in good nature.

"Don't bother telling me unless you've somehow revived my wife," Irvine shot back, angry that all his friends were trying to talk him into compromise marriage.

Yash laughed heartily, falling back on the cushions as he stared unseeingly at the ceiling. A silence passed as both men contemplated the topic at hand. Yash had known Selphie since she was a toddler, and she called him "Dad's sidekick" for a number of years before switching over to his name. He had watched her grow over the years just as much as Rinoa or Squall.

"Serious," he said solemnly, sitting up again. He looked at the letter in Irvine's hands just as the light caught the 24K gold of his wedding ring. "That ring's not supposed to weigh you down," he said, motioning. "Or stop you from living life."

Irvine diverted his gaze to his ring.

"I mean, sure, if I ever married a woman who looked as good as Quistis, it would take me a long time to let her go too," Yash continued, grinning. Irvine narrowed an eye at him. Clearing his throat, he turned serious again. "You know, Irvine—me, Rinoa, and anybody else who's tried to talk to you before about remarrying, we aren't doing it to make you feel guilty about being unfaithful to Quistis, which you wouldn't be doing in first place if you married again."

Irvine resisted the urge to shake his head.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Yash crossed his arms. "There wasn't any other girl you loved as much as Quistis?"

He was answered with thoughtful silence as Irvine's form shifted uncomfortably. Yash raised an eyebrow. "So…" he mused, "there _is_ another woman in Irvine Kinneas's stubborn heart. The world has ended."

The former sharpshooter set the letter aside and stared at his hands. "… Selphie."

"Your daughter doesn't count, Irvine. I know how much you love her--"

"I wasn't talking about that Selphie," he interrupted quietly, lifting his eyes. "There was… a girl," he began awkwardly, remembering. "When we were teenagers she was my best friend. There wasn't anyone else like her. See, all the other girls spent all their time on looking good, not that I was complaining back then, but Selphie… she didn't care. I could see her first thing in the morning and she wouldn't run for a brush, or make herself up for me. We were close like that."

"But she left Garden," Irvine's voice dropped, and Yash found himself leaning forward to catch every word. "I was only 17 when she went back to Trabia. Haven't seen her since then…" he trailed off, thinking.

Yash tried unsuccessfully to hide his surprise. "Her name was Selphie?"

The father nodded slowly, absent mindedly. "She was good friends with Quistis too. The day she died, she made me promise I would name our daughter Selphie. I guess she knew how much I missed her."

"Your wife," Yash said suddenly, slicing the air with his hands to halt any more information, "told you to name your daughter after your female best friend?"

Irvine nodded.

"That's one I haven't heard before."

"It wasn't like that," Irvine explained, sitting up straighter. "Selphie and Quistis were like sisters. And she knew that Selphie and I were really close."

"Exactly how close?" Yash chortled.

Irvine frowned at him. Then, shaking his head, he looked off. "Selphie… I could talk to her about anything. She knew how to make me feel better by just walking in the same room. We used to do everything together—eat out, play basketball, cheat off each other's tests… She meant a lot to me. Probably the best person I've ever known."

Yash tilted his head, seeing something else flicker in his partner's eyes.

"And the worst," Irvine went on. He seemed to be reaching into the darkest depths of his soul. Maybe he was. "She left me when I needed her the most. When I got married… when I had a daughter… when I lost my wife."

Yash sat perfectly still, listening intently to the story he had never been able to get out of his friend until then. Finally, he would know why Irvine was so closed off to the idea of marrying again.

"The day I buried Quistis, somehow I knew it wouldn't have been so bad if Selphie had been there with me." Irvine looked back to the letter on the bed, thinking of her. "But I guess I only have one Selphie now… and I wouldn't trade her for anything."

A thick silence hung in the air between the two men, practically begging for a reply. Bewildered, Yash searched his vocabulary for the right words. What was one supposed to say to a story like that? 

"… Did you love her?" he asked finally, terribly quiet.

Irvine tried to bring forth the image of her azure eyes and golden waterfall of hair. Yet when he closed his eyes, the woman he saw met his gaze with piercing emerald eyes, and her hair was the brown of earth rather than the gold of the sun.

"More than I ever got to tell her," Irvine answered, looking at the wedding band on his ring finger. It didn't seem quite so heavy anymore. He stood slowly. "I'm going to Polaris." 

__

Both of your Selphies are in Camp Walden, Irvine. Which one are you truly searching for?

*******************************************

A/N#2: Don't you just love the irony? 


	19. The Voice On the Answering Machine

A/N: Questions answered: Yash doesn't know that Selphie Tilmitt is at the camp; hence, it wasn't him speaking in the end. Any guesses as to who it was? *****evil laugh*

The movie, if any of you are fans of subtitles and the Hindi culture (fat chance, but I'm willing to take it that you are), is called Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Hey, if you like my story, you'll LOVE, and I mean, really LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the movie. It's ten times better. ^_^

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty: The Voice On the Answering Machine

Twenty-one hundred hours and the mess hall where she lingered was completely void of little campers. Selphie sat alone at a table for two, quietly sipping her iced coffee. The camp's first dinner had ended almost an hour earlier, but solitude was a luxury she hadn't had in the past six months. After saying one simple little word, she had found herself at every society party in Bell Isle, making friends with the wealthy. She couldn't help but feel like a part of her had disappeared, the part of her that used to watch sunsets and breathe in the scent of the ocean as it tossed below an on-the-move Garden. 

The chair opposite hers scraped against the floor as the brunette looked up to find Lavinia settling herself in the seat.

"So…" she said a little too brightly. There was an evil glint in her eye. "Seen Mortimer yet?"

Selphie laughed out, leaning back in her chair. "Shut up," she grumbled.

"Ah, don't worry," Lavinia waved a hand. "He's staying away from camp this year. Has to recuperate, you know."

"What?" 

"Didn't you hear?" When Selphie shook her head, Lavinia continued with a smirk. "Mortimer's staying in the Walden office this summer. Usually he directs the daily activities, right? Well, for some reason, he's put Thed in charge, today until the last day."

Selphie almost clasped her hands together in blessing. "Thank Shiva."

Lavinia rested her chin in her hand. She matched Selphie in age, though she was already married and the mother of two, both who attended Camp Walden in the summers. She had known Selphie for years now, and yet she was never one to flaunt her looks. She was of small stature but she held herself in a way that radiated the presence of a queen. Honestly, Lavinia had been surprised Mortimer was the only one to propose to her; the camp had many single men working as directors and instructors. "You know, most women would give a little more regard to their proposers."

Selphie shook her head. "That was the worst moment of my life." She could look back on the memory now with a laugh, but it had taken a few hours for her to finish shuddering.

Lavinia chuckled pleasantly. "I'm sure you have some good moments of love confessions to make up for it."

__

Here, let's do this again; I'll be me and you'll be Quistis, okay?

Lavinia watched as her friend's eyes glassed over and suddenly became distant… unfocused. 

"Selphie?"

The Trabian blinked, coming out of her memories. "Y-yeah…" she said, focusing on the brown depths of her drink. Good memories of love confessions, all right.

"Took a trip down Heartbreak Avenue?" 

"Am I that transparent?"

"Yes."

Sighing, Selphie took another sip. "… His name was--"

"Ooh, just when I'm about to get a story out of you!" Lavinia protested, stamping a foot in mock anger. 

"What?" Selphie asked for the second time in five minutes. 

"Thed sent me to find you. Guess what we get to do this year."

"Bunk check?" Selphie shrank back in her chair.

"Bunk check," Lavinia confirmed. She stood, stealing a drink from Selphie's glass. "Come on; it's not like you're alone."

Grumbling, Selphie followed. Bunk check was busy duty for camp workers, and probably the least preferred job. They would have to make their rounds through all the girls' cabins and check to see if everyone was either in bed or getting ready to be. The idea was preposterous to Selphie--she knew that majority of the kids just jumped right back out and continued playing cards or board games.

Across a fair distance of camp from the mess hall, another Selphie sat Indian style on her bed, browsing quietly through a magazine. Anya had turned out to be the proud owner of a three-year and growing collection of _Girl!_, Selphie's favorite magazine. A few other things that had come to her knowledge over the last few hours as she got to know her bunkmates was that Kaylo was actually nine, just a year older than Anya and herself. At their introduction, Selphie would have guessed her to be ten or eleven with her height and impeccable sense of style.

Like now, for instance, as Selphie looked across the room to Kaylo and Anya in their game of checkers. The older girl still had her long, brown hair in numerous little braids, each with a colorful ethnic bead at the end. One couldn't go as far as calling it dreads, but there was a good handful of them--Selphie guessed ten or so. With the exception of her thumbs, no finger on either of her hands was without a ring, and she was also clearly a fan of bracelets and anklets. Her shirt was a red swirl of color that went well with her white shorts. Earlier, Selphie had even noticed three earrings in each of her ears, the two outer holes occupied by little hoops and the third dangling a large, brown feather. Her other ear reflected the same arrangement.

Anya, her polar opposite, sat in jeans and a brown V-neck with only a promise ring and watch as her accessories. Her denim jacket was tied around her waist, and her blond hair was loose, straight, and almost glossy-looking. 

She could see why they were best friends.

A knock at the door made all three girls look up. Jana walked in, their next door neighbor and yet another one of Selphie's new friends. 

"Hey peeps," she said, chewing steadily on a wad of gum. "Some showers are free now."

"Finally!" Anya said, rising in one swift motion from her position on the floor. Her towel and clothes had been sitting on her bed, the lower bunk of the cabin, and she grabbed them quickly before disappearing out the door. Kaylo followed suit, looking back over her shoulder at Selphie.

"We should have gone early, like you," she said before skipping down the steps of their cabin.

Selphie glanced around the now empty room, briefly contemplating whether or not to close the door. The early summer air was just the right temperature, and the fresh breeze felt good at the moment. Night hung low and black outside as a few stars twinkled in the distance. 

Selphie walked briskly through the camp, unconscious of the fact that she had left Reihl Bunk for the last. With a quiet sigh, she mounted the steps to the cabin, not surprised at the open door that greeted her. What caught her attention was the little girl inside, kneeling by her bed in prayer fashion. The twenty-eight year old stopped and leaned gently against the door frame.

"And make sure Dad isn't too mad at me," Selphie went on. "We both know things have been hard on him since I've been gone. And… oh yeah, the crazy engaged couple needs some blessings too." She laughed, thinking of Rinoa and Squall, still in the hotel. They would stay there until her father arrived.

"And basically anybody I left out, make sure they're happy too. Thanks."

"Caught you," Selphie said, catching the attention of her mini-me. 

Selphie turned, quickly getting to her feet. "Oh, hi Miss Selphie."

Selphie smiled, coming into the cabin. "I know you're not supposed to listen in on other people's prayers, but you'll forgive me, won't you?"

The eight-year-old shrugged. "You can listen all you want; doesn't matter to me."

"Hm," Selphie said, sitting lightly on the lower bunk bed. The cabin was a triple, and little Selphie occupied the twin bed. "All your prayers were for your dad; none for mom?"

Selphie smiled, sitting down on her own bed and mirroring her senior. "Why ask for anything for Mom?"

Selphie blinked at what she assumed was an insult. "What?"

The little girl shrugged. "She's in Heaven. Whatever she wants, she can ask for it herself."

The news blanched on Selphie like a cold splash of water. The girl's mother was dead. It was sad when one so young lacked the parental guidance of both a father and mother. Selphie could relate.

"Oh, I see," she said quietly. She stood and looked around. "Where are your bunkmates?"

"Showers," Selphie answered shortly, though not snappily.

"Well, it's lights out for you girls when they get back, all right?" 

Selphie nodded, spying the checkers game still laid out on the floor. She watched as her father's friend stopped at the door on her way out, placing a hand against the wood. She turned back around.

"I'm sorry about your mom," she said quietly.

Little Selphie shrugged one shoulder with a small smile. "I never knew her." 

'But you did,' she added silently, thinking of the camcorder tape she still had. "And I have my dad. He's a really great guy," she said, silently laughing. The woman in front of her would know that better than anyone else.

But Selphie just nodded and smiled. "Good night, Selphie."

"Good night, Miss Selphie," she replied, laughing slightly at the exchange.

Shaking her head, Selphie turned and was out on the front step of the cabin when a little voice called suddenly,

"Miss Selphie?"

She turned quickly. "Yes?"

Selphie swung her crossed legs once, her feet not quite touching the floor when she sat on her bed. She had a thoughtful look on her face. "I like your hair long."

Confused, Selphie touched her hair, which had all been thrown carelessly on one shoulder in her hurried attempt to check all the cabins. How did the girl in front of her know she once had it short? The same strange feeling of familiarity came over her again. 

"… Well, thank you," she said finally, smiling in confusion. Turning, she disappeared down the steps and met Lavinia before both women set off.

Selphie smiled to herself and spotted the picture frame that lay face down on her dresser. She righted it, thankful that she'd been too lazy to prop it up the correct way when she'd first arrived. She had simply set it there while she unpacked. It was a picture of her mother, in color this time. Rinoa had taken it from her photo album to give to Selphie as a keepsake. 

Quistis, blond hair, blue eyes and all, sat in a flower bedecked swing that most likely hung from a low tree branch. She was resting her head gently against one of the ropes. Selphie had taken a small wallet size picture of her father and placed it in the bottom right corner of the frame, making up for the fact that she didn't have a photograph of them together. 

Selphie smiled at the picture. "I found her, Mom."

********************************************

Thed's office was depressingly neat, though Selphie ventured to guess that by the end of camp, piles of papers would grace the polished desk, and the planters would droop a little more. The single cabin was larger than the children's bunks, but it was only slightly more professional. A bookshelf lingered in the corner with books and three-ring binders that sported labels such as "Employees" and "Accounts Payable."

"I can't get this straight," Thed was saying as he repeatedly penciled and erased something on the papers in front of him. "Mortimer said he had the full lists right here."

"Everyone's settled in," Lavinia reported helpfully, sitting in one of the chairs before his desk. "I really don't think a roll check is necessary." Selphie imitated her, settling down in the left chair. Thed had called them in after their bunk check as standard procedure.

"They have to go to Walden's office," Thed replied. "If I don't get them done by next week, they'll start giving me deadlines."

"Eeugh…" chorused Selphie and Lavinia in mock surprise. They chortled shortly after. Thed narrowed an eye at them.

"I'll put you two in charge next year," he promised, rising and taking a clipboard with him. "Aaron and I are going to run a boys bunk check," he announced. "Get some rest--you both how the first day is."

"Yeah," both women said dryly.

"Oh, and check the messages for me," Thed called over his shoulder as he walked out. "Thanks!"

Lavinia stood, stretching. "Oh man, I'm glad this day is over."

"Tomorrow will be worse," Selphie reminded her, also standing and smoothing out her dress. "But I won't be out and about like you."

"Well," Lavinia said, yawning shortly, "you still owe my that love story. I'm not going to let that one slip, especially since I heard about Heath. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Selphie said quietly, knowing that Lavinia's well wishes were one of the few over the past few months that had been genuine.

The older woman noticed the change of tone, opting to leave it for another conversation. Comfortingly, she placed a hand on Selphie's shoulder. "Get some sleep," she suggested softly, before disappearing out the door of the cabin.

Selphie eyed Thed's desk, stopping when her eyes reached a blinking red light. Walking over, she saw a red seven on the answering machine and remembered Thed's last order before he walked out. Dutifully, she pressed the button and listened as the first voice came on.

"Hey Thad, it's Lydia. I've already faxed you a copy of the insurance statement. The meeting's been rescheduled for Friday at ten. Mortimer will tell you the rest…"

"Yeah, yeah," Selphie said tiredly, walking around the cabin and mindlessly straightening picture frames and knick-knacks. She had tendency to do that when she was alone. Vaguely, she heard a beep, followed by the second message. Mortimer's voice drifted through the room, making her cringe uncomfortably.

Her thoughts strayed to Heath and her mother. What would they be doing now? Wedding preparations were being made, and Bianca and Therise were most likely seated at a table surrounded by papers and invitations. She never thought her wedding would be a 500 guest ordeal, but she never thought she would marry someone because the love only went one way either. She was paying the price, she supposed. Heath was very nice, but a little too financially secure. She'd like him just the same if he were the average middle class businessman. Every other puzzle piece seemed to fall into place perfectly--Therise liked him, and Heath adored her. Bianca liked her as well, and the couple had many things in common. Both their fathers were deceased, whether they were biological or foster. 

Solan had died the day Selphie arrived back in Trabia. A precious five minutes had passed as she sat beside his hospital bed, Therise beside her. He was gone without ever regaining consciousness, but she had been there to see him one last time. The moment seemed to justify her rash and hurried departure from Garden so many years ago. Sighing, Selphie picked up a small scented candle from the little collection on Thed's bookshelf. She had tried over time to convince herself that she left only because of Solan's condition, but there was someone permanently carved in her conscience, denying the easy way out. 

"… Hi, my name is Irvine Kinneas, and I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding about my daughter, Selphie, attending your camp."

Selphie dropped the candle in her hand, only distantly hearing the thunk of wax as it hit the floor and broke in half. She whipped around, eyeing the answering machine in dumbfounded disbelief. Had she heard right? It couldn't have been him… it couldn't have been _her_.

"If you could call me back at 877-923-8473, I'd appreciate it. Thanks."

Racing across the room, she reached for the red button and managed to punch it once. A click sounded as the message played over again, his voice radiating in the small room.

Selphie barely remembered to breathe as the air around her suddenly became stale. "… Irvine…" she whispered, staring blankly at the answering machine.

"… about my daughter, Selphie…"

Had she not been leaning severely over the desk, she was sure she would have collapsed. Her thoughts wandered crazily like a trapped fly.

__

Maybe my parents liked you…

"… No…" there was barely a breath behind the word as Selphie practically lunged for the files set on Thed's desk. The answering machine went on to other messages, but she zoned them out easily as she frantically flipped through the papers. Almost to the point of dizziness, she scanned the contents of the papers in thinly veiled anxiety before finding the camp's list of girls.

Instinct guided her as she flipped through the stapled sheets to the K's. Kincaid, Kingswood, Kimbell, Kinneas--

Kinneas, Selphie Maila. Resides with: Kinneas, Irvine. Mother: deceased. 2416 Cumberland Lane, Esthar…

The information blurred as Selphie dropped the papers, allowing them to scatter onto the surface of the desk. All rational thought had vanished, and there was only one impending truth she was trying to face. Irvine had a _daughter_?! A daughter named Selphie who was sleeping not 200 yards from her at that very moment.

Propelled by an unknown force, Selphie ran for the door, pushing it open with unnecessary force and flying down the pathway toward the bunks. She didn't tire as she swiftly covered the distance of the campground; her purpose gave her stamina. Reihl came into view within a minute of her departure from Thed's office, and she slowed momentarily, breathing hard. Only lamplight illuminated the interior, and the door was still partially open, patiently awaiting the return of the two other room mates.

Selphie walked in quietly, her head still not believing what her heart had known all along. Little Selphie was already under the covers and fast asleep, her breathing deep and even. Unknowing of what else to do, Selphie perched lightly on her bed and was careful not to disturb the slumbering child. She mentally kicked herself as she watched the youth sleep. How had she missed it before? That silly little half smile she always wore… the brown hair… the blue eyes…

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as a second question entered her conscience, one that was already answered by something as simple as the girl's eye color. Almost robotic, her gaze redirected to the small night table where a 4x6 picture frame stood.

__

Maybe my parents liked you…

If it had been difficult to comprehend Irvine having a daughter, it was nothing compared to the rush of emotion she felt when she saw Quistis' picture there. She reached out with a shaky hand and took the frame, running her fingers lightly over the glass. The revelations came one after the other, drowning her more each time. 

Irvine and Quistis had gotten married… had a daughter whom they named Selphie… and Quistis was… was... But how? Hyne, how eleven years had left her feeling like she had abandoned the one thing she ever truly wanted in life. The image of Quistis as she had last seen her surfaced in her mind, her teenage emotions suddenly coming to life as if no time had passed. Her shining blue eyes had betrayed no emotion but sorrow as she watched Selphie ride away from her. 

Selphie closed her eyes, tears threatening to fall as she held the frame close. Love, friendship, heartbreak… everything she identified with him was still fresh in her memory, no matter how hard she had tried to let him go over the years. She couldn't do it; she just couldn't.

Her head bowed as she finally gave in and cried silently beside Selphie, who slept peacefully in her dream world.

**********************************

A/N#2: Deep breath. Okay, so Selphie finally knows. 

And thank you for all the kind reviews, everybody. Your words are the reason I sit here and write out these chapters rather than do my chemistry homework. ^_^


	20. Happy Friendship Day

A/N: I figured I was spoiling you for a while there, updating pretty often over Christmas and stuff like that. So I decided to make you hate me even more for making you wait FOREVER for this chapter. HA HA!! I have the power!! ^_^

Ahem. Sorry, I get into stuff. Well, this is it, folks. This is one of the clinch scenes in this fic. **I played around with perspectives for once, so it might not be top notch.** I warned you fair and square. ^_^

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty-One: Happy Friendship Day

"I can't do this, I REALLY can't—" 

"Yes, you can," Squall assured, gently pushing his fiancée down the steps of the Polaris hotel lobby.

"No, I can't," Rinoa said desperately, grabbing onto the center railing. "What if he kills me? What if he ties me up in a room and decides to have free reign with Exeter?" 

"Then he'll have my gunblade to deal with—Now _come on_."

"No, Squall, really, can't we just go to camp and he'll meet us there so he can't exercise any harm toward me in front of his daughter?" Rinoa pleaded, rigid as ever in Squall's arms.

"He's not going to harm you in any way, Rin," Squall said, smiling briefly at the people already giving the couple odd looks. "Look, he's not even mad."

"He's already here?!" she nearly screeched, feet coming to a stop on the steps. Sure enough, as her gaze zinged crazily around the lobby, she saw Irvine's tall figure leaning casually against the receptionist counter. He looked around like any nonchalant observer, and even crossed his arms in an easygoing manner.

With Squall's sheer strength pushing her along, Rinoa finally stumbled down the remaining stairs and in the direction of her old friend. Irvine watched them in thinly veiled amusement.

"Hi!" Rinoa chirped perkily, too reminiscent of Selphie at the moment. "How are you, Irvine? Are you good—you look good!"

The Galbadian raised an eyebrow.

"Have I mentioned you look good today?" she went on, nodding enthusiastically.

Irvine held up a hand. "Rin, I just got off a red eye flight in a city across the ocean from my house where I'm supposed to be, and where I was supposed to find my daughter. I strongly suggest that the next words out of your mouth are the directions to this _Camp Walden_ of yours."

Rinoa visibly winced. "… Okay," she responded in a meek voice.

Squall stepped between them. "Don't be mad, Irvine. We were all in on it somehow. We'll catch a cab to camp, and you can take Selphie back. We know it was wrong of us to let her come."

The taller man nodded once. "I hope you guys have kids soon," was his only reply as he walked on out the revolving doors of the hotel entrance. Exchanging a bewildered glance, Rinoa and Squall followed him, anticipation growing.

Irvine didn't seem too upset by the event as Rinoa glanced at him across the taxi seat. He had the look of a stern and loving father on his features, and yet there was a youthful innocence still shining through. Many times she'd had to remind herself that he was only 28 and yet practically going on 40. Maybe when he met Selphie again he would change.

The idea almost gave Rinoa the shock of her life. Suddenly, she reminded herself she had justification for allowing Selphie to come to Camp Walden. All three of them were going to see _her_ again after so long and so hard a parting. Rinoa herself hadn't followed Irvine to the train station the day Selphie walked out of his life, but Quistis had. Her letter told the story that no one else dared speak of over the years.

Shifting, Rinoa looked out the window in anticipation.

****************************************************

Selphie swiftly crossed the camp ground to the mess hall and walked straight through the doors to meet the chaos of the children as they talked and laughed over their breakfast. Many were running around the room in glee. She slowed momentarily as her gaze flew over the little occupants of the large room. There was a time in her life when she'd had that much energy in the morning. It had watered down over the years, no doubt.

Lavinia whizzed by, her arms full of plates. "Oh Selphie! Thank goodness you're here! We're running low on rolls; can you grab some from the kitchen?"

"Sure," she called in answer, for her friend was already off in another direction. Shaking her head, she entered the back swinging doors and met the equally chaotic state of the kitchen as the camp counselors, cooks, and workers shouted orders over the hum of machines and tossing water.

"Morning Selphie," a few greeted her with smiles as she returned the favor. Full pans of rolls were already lined up nicely next to the door, and she merely had to slide off the top pan before backing out the door again. The excitement of the first day never failed to affect even the long time attendees of Camp Walden.

She was just placing the pan in the serving line when she looked up at the small hand already reaching for one.

"Morning, Miss Selphie," Selphie said, putting a roll on her plate.

Selphie smiled. "Morning, Selphie," she returned calmly, looking at the child who so obviously combined Quistis and Irvine. She chastised herself a second time for not realizing it sooner. 

"Hey Miss Selphie," two voices soon followed. Kaylo and Anya stood in line behind Selphie, and also reached for the fresh tray of rolls.

"Oh no, not you two again," Selphie said, ruffling the little blonde's hair. "Aren't you tired of Walden yet, girls?"

"Nope!" they both replied before moving on through the line.

Selphie shook her head with a small smile. Anya and Kaylo were two of her favorite kids at Camp Walden. She looked forward to seeing them every year, though she knew that soon they would be too old to attend. They would have to move onto Junior's Camp in Timber or Deling if they wanted to stay in the summer program.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that the tap on her shoulder made her jump involuntarily. She turned quickly, expecting to see Lavinia standing there with a fresh set of orders. Instead, she met the familiar brown eyes of—

"… _Rinoa_…?"

******************************************

"Okay, I know you're not very happy with me right now, but really, just let me talk to them first," Rinoa pleaded, walking backwards in pace with Irvine as she tried to stop him from entering the mess hall. The taxi had dropped them off just moments before, and now Irvine walked with a purpose.

Squall followed close behind. "She has a point, Irvine."

The Galbadian never stopped, exasperated with the two people he had considered his closest friends for the longest time. They both seemed so intent on keeping him from seeing his own daughter. If he was to give into his gut suspicion, he would think they'd sold her into child prostitution.

"You can't just waltz down here, grab Selphie, and catch the first flight home. There's obstacles you have to go through," Rinoa went on, shooting a quick glance over her shoulder at the building where two Selphies currently dwelled.

"Enlighten me," Irvine said, not slowing his pace.

"Money!" Rinoa almost screamed, nearly tripping over her own two feet. "There are things to work out, especially since Cid won't be too happy knowing he paid for Selphie to go to camp only to find out that she quit it after the first day!"

"And who's fault is that?" Irvine countered.

"Irvine, PLEASE," Rinoa was almost ready to cast a Slow on him. "Look, if it means anything, I got you into this mess," she placed her hand against his shoulder, wielding enough force to stop him. "Let me get you out of it."

Irvine sighed, glaring daggers at the mess hall that lingered only twenty or so feet from them. His patience was wearing thin, but if it meant getting Selphie back sooner, he could last the least bit longer. Walking in on a hundred kids and many counselors while demanding to take his daughter did seem irrational, even for someone in his disposition. 

He crossed his arms and gently removed Rinoa's hand from his shoulder as if it were contaminated. "Five minutes," he said gruffly.

The joy on Rinoa's face almost made him feel his decision had been the right one. She gave him two thumbs up and closed her eyes momentarily, thanking any deity who had just saved her last chance at reuniting the two best friends the right way.

"Thank you," she whispered quickly before turning and practically tearing the door off its hinges as she entered the camp mess hall.

*****************************************

Selphie was just opening her mouth to respond to Anya's question when a familiar voice entered her ears.

"Selphie!" Rinoa hissed, catching up to her young friend.

"Rinoa! You're here already!" Selphie exclaimed, giving her father's friend a big hug. The sorceress returned it mainly out of anxiety. She didn't have much time to spend on heartfelt moments. 

"Is Dad here?" the eight-year-old asked, pulling back.

"He's here, but that's what the problem is!" Rinoa said, shooting a wary glance around the filled mess hall.

"What?" 

"He's waiting outside right now, and he's not the happiest man on the earth," Rinoa clarified, ushering Selphie over to a corner. Anya and Kaylo both watched the interaction with interest. Selphie held out a hand.

"Wait for me; I'll be right there," she told them before going with Rinoa. "Is he mad at me?" she asked in a small voice.

"More me than you, kiddo," Rinoa responded. She shot a quick look around the large room. "Is Selphie here?"

"Yeah, I just saw her come in, like, a minute ago," Selphie said, motioning vaguely with one hand. 

"Okay, I have to talk to her before your dad comes storming in here like an Esthar earthquake. I think he'll get the picture if he sees me talking to her," Rinoa said. She nudged Selphie toward the line. "Act like you're getting something to eat but follow me when I talk to her."

Nodding, the eight-year-old walked off with Anya and Kaylo by her side. Both of them looked back at Rinoa curiously, but didn't ask questions.

Taking a deep breath, Rinoa hung back in a corner for a minute more before seeing her long time friend emerge from the kitchen doors with a fresh tray of rolls. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Selphie set the food down and smiled at the passing children. Rinoa blinked a few times, trying to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. She really was seeing the Trabian lass after so long. 

She looked so different and yet so much the same. Her green eyes still sparkled with genuine kindness, and her brown hair was… _long_. The teenager in her had been replaced by a vibrant woman of character and compassion.

Rinoa never quite realized when she started walking, but she reached Selphie just as Irvine's similarly named daughter fell in step beside her. They exchanged one glance.

Then, raising her hand, Rinoa laid it gently on Selphie's shoulder.

******************************************

"… _Rinoa_…?"

The sorceress smiled weakly. "Surprise?" she offered, shrugging slightly.

A tense, silent moment passed between the two women.

"My Hyne!" Selphie laughed out, throwing her arms around her friend. "How did you—when did—why did—" 

"I missed you too," Rinoa interrupted, returning the hug. She sighed quietly, counting the years. 

After a brief eternity, Selphie finally pulled away, her face twisted in a look of disbelief. "I can't believe this! You're _here_, you're actually _here_! I just talked to you on the phone… what, a week ago?"

Rinoa nodded and looked quickly to the double doors, anxiously awaiting Irvine's entrance. "Selphie, I would love to catch up, but there's something else I really have to tell you… NOW."

"What are you talking about?" 

"Selphie!!"

And time stopped.

***************************************

"Okay, that was five minutes," Irvine said, mounting the wooden steps to the mess hall. 

Squall followed him quickly. "That was three," he argued, but it was too late. Quistis' husband had already stepped over the threshold and pinpointed his daughter standing near the food line. Over the chaos of the room, he shouted her name.

Two faces looked up in perfect unison at his call. One was his daughter, the other… _the other…_

Irvine's gaze fell on both of them at the same moment. The earth seemed to tilt beneath him as his eyes met those of his best friend. It couldn't have been her… What would she be doing there? Was he dreaming? 

Selphie turned from Rinoa. She truly did forget to breathe as she saw Irvine standing across the room from her. He was there, wasn't he? Had all her fantasies and daydreams about seeing him again finally become reality as she stood there? 

__

Eleven years…

Little Selphie looked at Rinoa, a hopeful smile on her young features. Rinoa nodded encouragingly at the eight-year-old.

As if drawn by a supernatural force, the two best friends began a slow walk towards each other, their eyes never parting. Children moved out of the way as they came closer and closer and camp counselors stood by in confused interest. Much of the room had fallen silent when Irvine first called his daughter's name.

They were separated by only a few feet before they both stopped, gazes still locked. Their expressions were unreadable to the rest of the world, but in that one moment, they understood each other better than ever before. The greatest of revelations entered the former cowboy's mind as he spread into a characteristic smile.

He held out his hand. "… Happy Friendship Day."

Selphie blinked in realization. Past memories of Garden surfaced in her mind as she remembered that certain day so many years before. The smile reflected on her face, and after what seemed like an eternity, she laughed out loud and swept his hand aside, falling into his arms. 

Rinoa smiled in synchronization with her eight-year-old friend. Squall materialized beside her as if on cue. 

"It is Friendship Day, isn't it?" he said, wrapping an arm around his fiancée's shoulders. She nudged him playfully.

Selphie buried her face into the fabric of Irvine's shirt, inhaling his familiar scent. How long had it been since she had been in his arms? How many nights had she cried herself to sleep over leaving him after one letter from her foster parents? How many times had she wished it was Irvine she could still call her best friend? 

A million questions flew through both their minds at lightning speed, but there was only one answer they truly needed at the moment. 

"Are you real?" they whispered in unison, pulling apart. A moment later, they laughed, looking sheepishly around the room at everything and anything. 

"… Gosh," Selphie said finally, running a hand through her long hair. She smiled weakly at her best friend. "First Rinoa, then you…" she trailed off, looking back over her shoulder at her first friendly reunion that day. 

Irvine blankly remembered that his daughter was standing not thirty feet from him, and beside her stood Rinoa and Squall, the now very sane close friends of his. He suddenly felt like the last person to understand the punch line of some great joke. 

Selphie walked slowly up to her father and his best friend. Their taller forms looked down to her as she approached them, a permanent smile on her face.

"Let's eat," she suggested shortly.

***********************************************

__

They ARE meant to be together…

A/N#2: If you've got questions, don't put them in the review; EMAIL ME. You could review anyway with a few helpful comments. ^_^


	21. What Missing You Was Like

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty-Two: What Missing You Was Like

Had he not just been talking about her the day before? He remembered his Deling hotel room and the letter from his little Selphie saying she was happy at camp. He remembered Yash's familiar figure sitting opposite the room from him, slowly taking in his teenage story. But most importantly, he remembered _her_, and how he felt the day she left. He remembered closing his eyes to bring back the image of his wife and instead seeing only _her_. She was his best friend. She was… Selphie.

And she was beside him at that very moment, feet dangling off the wooden dock, eyes gazing at the stars as they twinkled in the blackness of the night sky. It was so familiar being with her and yet so foreign. Many times since breakfast he'd had to remind himself that he was twenty-eight and not seventeen, and the same applied to Selphie. They had a lived another life since Garden, separate from each other but always remembering. 

And had she not just been about to tell Lavinia about him the night before? She remembered sitting in the empty mess hall drinking her iced coffee as her co-worker informed her of their job as bunk checkers. She remembered a humorous conversation about Mortimer and how she had other love confessions to make up for the event. Not that it was the truth. The one time she thought she was getting a love confession ended up being a practice run for Irvine.

And he was beside her at that very moment, his head tilted in similar fashion as they looked at the stars. His presence was home to her, even after all the years apart. She was reminded of his ability to make her warm just by sitting or walking beside her. She'd been cold for too long.

Only the crickets dared communicate. Prepared speeches and heartfelt confessions were swept aside as both friends realized how hard it was to speak after eleven years of silence. 

Selphie clasped her hands together and stared at the still water of the Walden lake. "… It is Friendship Day, isn't it?"

Irvine smiled. "Yep."

"Hm," she mused shortly, "… I think I still have all your bracelets."

Irvine looked at her.

"Want 'em back?" she offered with a smile, earning a light nudge from him.

"Who would I give them to?" he questioned logically, looking in her eyes. "I stopped chasing after those stupid girls a long time ago."

The subtle seriousness of his voice made Selphie avert her gaze. A moment of silence passed between the two. In the distance, the laughter of the camp children could be heard as they played their night games of Ghost in the Graveyard and Blackout.

Selphie remembered scolding him with those words all too well. Her deceased friend entered her thoughts. "… I didn't know about Quistis," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

Beside her, Irvine shifted and stared out over the water. He was finally able to see the blue eyes and blond hair that had greeted him every morning before her death. Her fruity perfume was faint in the breeze.

"How could you know?" Irvine said, sitting forward. He avoided sounding bitter. "You just left."

She knew she would hear it one day. It was harder coming from Irvine. Selphie looked down, voice dropping a few decibels. "We change our lives all the time, Irvine."

"So you change your friends too?" he countered softly. The words they exchanged could have been shouted in heated argument, but instead they were low, quiet, and logical. This was the way they truly discussed a difficult issue. Deep down, he knew she was sorry for her leaving, but it wasn't justifiable by time. His forgiveness didn't work on a waiting list.

Selphie sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat quietly. "You didn't marry again?" she said, wisely straying from any more tense subject matter.

Irvine followed her lead and broke into a silly smile. He looked off. "Couldn't find you, or else I would have."

Selphie laughed and exercised her turn to nudge him playfully. 

"And you didn't marry?" he returned, a note of interest in his deep voice.

Selphie stared at him out of the corner of her eye. "Couldn't find you."

They both laughed shortly, shaking their heads at the old promise. Could it have been called a promise? It was hard to tell now.

"Selphie," Irvine said gently, as if she were asleep. "We live once, die once… and fall in love…"

"Once," she finished for him. A moment later, she spoke again. "So are you really going to take Selphie back?"

Irvine blinked, remembering his original reason for coming to Camp Walden. The circumstances had completely whisked the idea from his mind… or rather, his best friend had completely whisked any coherent ideas from his mind for the past eight hours.

"I, uh…" he started, clearing his throat. "I thought about just letting her stay…"

Selphie's attention peaked with a slight raise of her eyebrow.

"First time at camp, you know. Every kid goes to camp at least once," he went on, laughing inwardly at the ruckus Rinoa would have made had she heard him.

Selphie wasn't fooled. "Sure," she replied.

Irvine nudged her again, and an unwanted chill went down her spine. "You want me to leave?"

She remembered his ability to corner her. Irvine was always so good with words; it came from the charm, no doubt. Getting her to admit things had always been at the top of his talent list. 

"No," she said simply.

He smiled. "All right then."

Selphie looked at her hands. "So… how did she come about?" The question didn't sting quite as much as she had anticipated.

Irvine raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard by her question. His daughter was somewhat more comfortable conversation than his deceased wife. "… Well," he began, running over the events in his head. "After you left, Garden didn't really seem the same for any of us. Quistis and I got married three years after."

Selphie lowered her eyes.

"… She died the day after Selphie was born. I had to get away from Garden after that. Place had too many memories." Irvine motioned vaguely with one hand toward the bunks. "Eventually Selphie and I settled in Esthar, thanks to Laguna, really. We've lived there ever since."

Selphie folded her hands between her knees. "I already know about Squall and Rinoa. What about Zell?"

Irvine smirked. "He was the only one who stayed at Garden. You couldn't get him away from those hot dogs for anything." 

"I see," Selphie smiled, shaking her head. "It's crazy how we scattered ourselves after Ultimecia."

"Started with you," Irvine dared say, leaning in her direction.

She nodded silently, not taking offense, not intending it. "… I know." She bit her lip, eyeing her best friend out of the corner of her eye. "But didn't you miss Garden? Your friends?"

Irvine tilted his head in thought. "I think I was too busy learning how to raise a kid."

They both laughed and subconsciously looked in unison toward the bunks again, still hearing the children as they played in the lit clearings.

"Actually, I did miss one thing about Garden," Irvine went on, wagging a finger. "They had great blueberry muffins."

Selphie nodded, remembering.

"And every time I went grocery shopping I missed being able to walk in the cafeteria and just buy my lunch and dinner." Irvine paused in thought. "… And every time Selphie woke me up in the middle of the night bawling her eyes out for a bottle of milk I missed the good night's sleep I got when I wasn't a dad."

"Oh, and I missed studying for exams, of course," he continued lightly, looking off. 

"Irvine?" Selphie interrupted softly.

"Yeah?"

"And, um… me?" she suggested gently.

Irvine furrowed his brow at her. "You?" he said the word in confusion. Then he shrugged. "Nah, I don't think I ever missed you."

She blinked, shrinking away from him.

He cracked a smile. "Well, there was one time when I was playing basketball with Squall and Zell and wished it was you. See, with you, tackling was okay."

Selphie crossed her arms, remembering the embarrassing incident with her shirt all too well. "Heartless," she frowned and looked away.

Irvine turned toward her, lightly putting his finger under her chin to bring her gaze back to him. His voice dropped in seriousness. "Sel… I only missed you when I did one thing."

She kept her eyes downcast. "And what was that?"

He removed his hand. "Every time I breathed."

Even after eleven years those emerald eyes of hers hadn't changed. And when she looked up at him, he knew things were never going to be quite the same between them. It seemed almost as if the little black hole in both their memories where their friendship had cut off was slowly being filled in with something new, something… different.

Selphie searched desperately for her voice. "… Oh…"

Irvine watched her every nervous movement in thinly veiled affection. He held out his hand. "Friendship—it's above all other relationships."

She took it, reveling in the achingly familiar feel of his warmth. "Friends…" she repeated slowly, lifting her eyes. Hyne help her, if she stayed in his presence any longer, the wounds would reopen and pour out in tidal waves. She cleared her throat and sat up. "I need to check on the bunks," she said, remembering the time. "… Good night, Irvine."

Gracefully, she stood from the dock and smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Good night, Selphie," he returned, watching her leave. A minute later, he stood and walked off for the spare counselor bunk Thed was letting him, Rinoa, and Squall stay in for the night. What happened after that night was still undecided.

**************************************

"Good night? Good night?!" Selphie walked into Rinoa's view, muttering to herself. Minutes before, she had sent the little girl on an eavesdropping mission, which obviously was being returned with sour news.

Rinoa ran a hand through her hair. "Is it that bad?"

The eight-year-old paced the dirt outside her cabin in frustration. "They're acting like they just met! 'Good night, Irvine;' Good night, Selphie.' Ugh."

"I'd say a decade can do that to people," Rinoa returned, watching the little figure from her seat on the cabin steps. "Getting those two to meet again wasn't the hard part. I told you that, remember?"

"I need something that will make them remember," Selphie went on, waving a hand. "Can you think of anything?"

Rinoa squinted, seeing her memory play invisibly in the air before her. Then she frowned. "Selphie and Irvine? They were the king and queen of inside jokes. Nobody ever knew what they were thinking about when they cracked up in the middle of lunch for no reason."

"There has to be _something_ I can set up," Selphie argued, still pacing.

Rinoa propped her chin in her hand and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, kid. Looks like you'll just have to let them play it out."

The youngster resisted a roll of her eyes. "Oh come on, Rinoa," she said, turning away. She sent a brief look to the stars and held open her palms. "Only you can help me now, Mom," she declared tartly.

She gasped when the flying orange object came at her. Athletic instinct made her catch it, but it was a moment before she realized exactly what it was. Rinoa stood slowly from the steps.

"Basketball…" Selphie murmured wondrously.

"Good catch," Kaylo's voice sliced through the air, and Selphie turned, watching her run up from the basketball court situated a short distance from their cabins. 

"Luck," Selphie replied, throwing it back. Kaylo lazily saluted her before running back into the game. 

A smile spread across her young face. Slowly, Selphie looked back up to the stars and winked. 

**************************************

A/N: I'm extremely sorry for the late update. I've had some guy issues lately, and ladies, we all know what that's like. 

I actually had about three fourths of this chapter written three days after I posted the previous chapter, but I didn't get back to it for a while. If things seem disjointed, it's because I wrote the last quarter of this a month later. Tell me if I'm hitting a dead point.


	22. Basketball Rematch

A/N:** This is meant to be funny. **Just thought I'd tell you.

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty-Three: Basketball Rematch

The scene reminded her oddly of the Garden days, when the gang would sit together at lunch and dinner, talking animatedly about anything that came to mind. The cafeteria had a certain air about it. One could walk in, forget their troubles for an hour and just be rowdy teenagers on a lunch break. They weren't trained killing machines who floated around in a giant seashell-looking facility anymore; not when food was concerned.

She wasn't a teenager anymore; hadn't been for some time. Yet there they were on the noon following their reunion, four of the original six, amidst an entirely different generation, talking and laughing just like they had in the past. While Camp Walden's mess hall was a far cry from the sleek floors and metal tables and chairs of Garden's cafeteria, the atmosphere was the same. 

"You keep ending up with your orphanage crew, don't you, Sel?" Rinoa said, taking a sip from her drink. Her lunch sat in front of her, a salad accompanied by a few quesadillas. 

The petite brunette shrugged. "Yep. Very interesting," she said, shooting a quick glance at Irvine. He didn't miss the look or the tone, and a certain little girl entered their thoughts at the same moment.

"Selphie told me you were getting married in a few months," Selphie went on, looking from Squall to Rinoa. 

"Unfortunately," she said, smirking at her fiancé.

"Took them long enough, too," Irvine put in with a quaint tilt of his head.

Selphie frowned at him, resisting the initial temptation to slug him. Her old self was coming back under the circumstances. Instead, she folded her arms on the table. "I think that's wonderful," she said, smiling at Squall. He returned the favor in his quiet way. Selphie almost found it amusing enough to laugh. He hadn't changed much, had he?

"Took you and Quistis a little too short, if you ask me," Rinoa retorted with a sly smile and sent Irvine a knowing look. He slouched a few inches in his seat and frowned at her. 

At the mention of Quistis, Selphie creased her brow and looked from one to the other. "What?"

"Ah, nothing," Irvine jumped in, waving a hand.

"Let's just say--"

"Be quiet, Rin."  


"What?" she asked innocently.

Selphie opened her mouth to stop their chatter and tell her what Irvine was obviously too embarrassed to admit himself, but she was interrupted by the sudden commotion on the other side of the mess hall.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Kaylo's voice. 

Quickly, Selphie turned in her seat, first finding the nine-year-old in the crowd before turning in the direction of her look. Through the large windows she could clearly see the basketball courts. Only, on the one closest to her, a small throng of children was gathering around two figures. The scene looked oddly like…

"Oh Hyne," Selphie said, coming to her feet. 

"That's Selphie," Irvine said incredulously, recognizing the little figure immediately.

Without further encouragement, Selphie shot off, dodging children in her way as she sped to the doors. "Lavinia!" she called once over her shoulder for reinforcement.

Irvine followed her, briskly running through the possible punishments for his daughter. She knew better than to get in fights, dammit all. By the time they reached the courts, the children parted easily to let them in.

"Selphie, Rohan, stop!" 

Breaking through, Selphie reached for the child nearest her and hauled him back just as Irvine snatched his daughter in his arms.

"I thought I raised you better than this!" he scolded her.

"Let me go!" she protested, kicking insistently at the air. "I was winning! You always said I could get in a fight as long as I knew I was gonna win!"

Selphie raised an eyebrow at her best friend, and saw him look almost sheepish. 

Irvine shook his daughter's air-born form. "Hey, remember I said not to tell anybody that."

Shaking her head, Selphie turned her attention back to the little boy in her grasp. She knew him from past years at Camp Walden and he had never been one to cause trouble. "You should be ashamed, Rohan! Big boys don't fight, especially not with girls."

"She hit me first!" he declared, pointing an accusing finger.

"He said girls couldn't play basketball!" Selphie fired back, pointing her own finger, her legs still bicycling wildly in the air as her father's iron grip refused to let her down.

For a brief moment Selphie was relieved that the fight had been about something so small, but her thoughts were swept aside by the proud voice that belonged to no other than Irvine.

"Hey," he said, putting Selphie down, "he was telling the truth and you know it."

Selphie blinked.

"What?" his daughter nearly shouted. "Rinoa told me Miss Selphie used to beat you in basketball all the time when you were in school!"

A collective "Ooh" vibrated through the crowd of children as they laughed and jeered at the former cowboy. He clamped a hand over his daughter's mouth, and held up his other hand as if reassuring the spectators. 

"Hey! Hey! Not all the time, all right?" he said defensively.

Selphie cleared a stray lock of hair from her face and resisted a laugh. "You lost every time, Irvine," she informed him modestly.

"No, I didn't."

All traces of modesty vanished. "Yes you did!"

"Hey, enough of this. Don't lie in front of the kids," Irvine said, pulling Rohan out of her arms and behind him, acting as a shield.

Selphie's mouth momentarily formed an O. "What! _I'm_ lying?!" she stressed, stealing Selphie out from under his grasp and pulling the little figure behind her in equal exchange.

"Yeah," Irvine answered blandly, suddenly very interested at the turn of events.

Selphie poked a finger in the middle of his chest, feeling seventeen years old again. "The truth was YOU could only win if you cheated!" she declared.

"Don't _call_ me a cheater," Irvine warned, returning the gesture.

Pleased, Selphie peeked out from behind Selphie's skirt and motioned for the crowd to join her. "Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!"

The chant increased in volume almost immediately, with children loving the opportunity to shout and scream no matter the rhyme or reason. Irvine frowned at his daughter and received an innocent shrug in response.

"All right!" 

The crowd fell silent at the command and turned to the owner of the new voice. Lavinia, followed closely by Squall and Rinoa, parted the crowd of camp children and stepped between the two. She had become well acquainted with all of Selphie's visiting friends, and this particular event had peaked her interest.

"Let's see who the real cheater was—is," she corrected, looking between Selphie and Irvine. "How 'bout a game? For old time's sake," she smiled at the pair, knowing what she proposed most certainly wouldn't be turned down.

"Fine with me!" Selphie huffed, glaring at Irvine. It was just like old times.

"Don't be stupid, Selphie," he shook his head.

"Scared that your measly best friend at 5'1" and a half is going to win you in a game of basketball?" she challenged, unconsciously quoting herself.

He recognized it before she did, but the memory was brushed away by his pride. He wagged a finger at her. "Irvine Kinneas ain't scared o' nobody," he drawled.

Selphie stared at him, momentarily flooded with familiarity at the accent he pulled out only for the charm. She'd heard it plenty of times in the past, but talking with him in the past day hadn't revealed it. It was something she used to love about him—still did.

Ignoring the tug at her heart, she straightened, and the mask of assurance returned. "We'll see."

Rinoa exchanged one highly amused look with Squall as the crowd cheerily followed their favorite camp instructor and Irvine to the larger basketball court. 

Little Selphie lagged behind with her bunk mates Anya and Kaylo, a small smile gracing her features. Shortly, Rohan appeared by her side and looked after the two adults who had just been reintroduced to their teenage mindsets.

"Thanks, buddy," Selphie said, high-fiving her fighting partner who also belonged to Anya and Kaylo's endless string of friends at camp. 

"No problem," he shrugged. Then he frowned. "We pretended to fight just so they could play basketball?"

Selphie shook her head with a smile. "Long story," she said, slapping him once on the back and running to catch up with the crowd.

Anya smiled sympathetically at his still confused look and imitated Selphie's previous gesture. "Don't ask." She, too, ran off after the little matchmaker.

Finally, Kaylo came up beside him, comfortably resting her elbow in the curve of his shoulder. "Selphie wants them to get married."

"Oh."

**********************************************

She met him at half court, dribbling like the years hadn't chipped away at her skills. Irvine watched her from his taller disposition, the mischievous glint in his eyes unmistakable and unchanged. 

Selphie met his gaze. "You'll lose again, Irvine," she said, throwing him the orange basketball.

He caught it handily and shook his head with a small, distant smile. His eyes still danced with rascality. "I've been practicing for eleven years. I won't lose this time."

Her smirk faded as his words hung in the air between them. "Hmm…" was all she could muster up, belatedly telling herself how lame the retort was.

Meanwhile, Quistis' spirited daughter had started another chant on the bleachers. "Selphie! Selphie! Selphie!"

While Rohan, living up to his acting skills, spread a jolly, "Irvine! Irvine! Irvine!" on his side of the bleachers, consisting mostly of the boys.

Rinoa, Squall, and Lavinia sat front and center, dividing the two cheers. Thed wasn't far from the action, playing referee with the whistle around his neck. The whole camp seemed to transform into the grounds to set Irvine and Selphie up once and for all.

"Gonna challenge me in a skirt?" he asked. If they were going to dwell in the past, why not pull out some more lines they'd already been through once before?

Selphie smiled. "I'm that talented."

The whistle blew and the constant thunk of the ball hitting the court echoed loudly through the camp. The cheers rose in volume, drowning out any hope of thought and strategy. Sighing, Selphie realized she would have to wing it this time around.

He moved in and out just like he did as a teenager, taking advantage of his long legs. Nothing had changed about her Irvine—even with the short hair and casual clothes, he seemed seventeen again, playing basketball with her on their lunch break.

Her mind stopped, tripped over her heart. _Her_ Irvine? Had she really thought that?

Irvine faked a right. "Made ya look!" he declared proudly before swinging back around and advancing toward the goal.

Selphie gasped a laugh, turning around to watch him expertly pull off a lay-up. How had he gotten past her so fast? With deafening finality, the ball swooshed through the hoop and landed with a hard thunk on the court. 

"Uh, excuse me?" Irvine said, catching the ball with one hand. "What was that?"

Selphie rolled her eyes.

"I think… Now, tell me if I'm wrong here," he went on candidly. "I do believe that's two-zero, best friend."

She fumed inwardly, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. "I'll get you back."

"Go Selphie! Go Selphie! Go Selphie!" Selphie shouted along with the girls of camp, immensely enjoying watching her father loosen up after so many years of subtle grief. She turned to Squall, who sat beside her and watched the game with his chin propped in his hand. "Isn't this great?"

"Fascinating," the former Commander agreed flatly. Then he smiled at her, earning her surprise. "I don't suppose you thought of this?"

Selphie tilted her head, thoughtful. "Let's just say I had a little divine inspiration," she answered, thinking of her mother.

The whistle blew again, and they turned their attention back to the game. Irvine had the ball, and was throwing it jauntily from hand to hand. Selphie walked around him, slouching her disinterest. He was so preoccupied with juggling the ball that he didn't notice her smiling and nodding to the crowd.

Rinoa made an obscure, encouraging motion.

Without further urging, Selphie grabbed the front of Irvine's shirt, pulling him forward in a stumble as he uttered out a surprised, "H-hey!"

The ball flew from his grasp, straight up in the air, and she midfielded it expertly, dribbling triumphantly to her goal. Irvine regained his balance and chased after her with a vengeance.

Just short of finishing off her breakaway with a goal, Selphie raised the ball, poised to shoot it nimbly in the hoop and found it gone the next instant. Incredibly, she watched it bounce harmlessly off court and turned angrily to face her nemesis.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"Reverse blocking," Irvine answered promptly. "Knocking the ball out of your opponent's hands from behind," he delivered smoothly as if he were reading from a manual.

Selphie narrowed her eyes.

A few tricks and dupes, fakes and much traveling later, the score had changed to six-zero. The shouts deteriorated slowly as the game shifted in favor of none other than the Galbadian cowboy. It seemed history was not bound to repeat itself that day.

"You," Selphie began hotly, dribbling the ball to half court, "are the most egotistical, self-centered person I have ever met!"

"You forgot good-looking," Irvine returned smoothly. He had to admit, nothing had ever given him so much amusement as watching Selphie get mad. When they were young, it had been cute, but now it possessed an underlying seductiveness.

The first drops of water that splashed against her arms immediately brought her back to the present and her position. Gasping, Selphie sent one look to the sky and finally noticed the gray clouds quickly gathering over the camp. Their audience had sensed it too, and the cheers died down as the rain spotted the court. 

"Everybody get inside!" she yelled, waving the kids off the bleachers. They needed no further encouragement, and seconds later, the mass of camp children had taken off for the closest building—the mess hall.

With a small sense of disappointment, Irvine realized that the basketball was officially over, declared by Hyne herself. He sent a frown to the sky before the rain began pouring, and immediately regretted the action.

Rinoa rushed off the bleachers with Selphie, Squall and Lavinia flanking them on either side. The camp counselor procured an umbrella seemingly from nowhere. "I always come prepared," she answered Rinoa's silent question that was written over her features. "Here," she handed it to the sorceress before running off with Irvine's daughter at her side. 

Squall stayed by her, protected from the rain by the large, red umbrella. They passed Selphie, who stood on the court, her skirt and shirt soaked, yet still she herded kids off the court in hopes of keeping order. Rinoa gave her the umbrella in one fluid motion.

"Thanks!" she said, and looked over her shoulder for the only person she hadn't seen run for cover. 

Irvine stood center court, rain dripping over his form. He disregarded it, and only spread him arms out to the sky, savoring the moment. Selphie shook her head, laughing. She ran up to him and positioned the umbrella over their heads.

"What are you still doing here, you idiot?" she scolded him, rubbing one arm with her free hand. Water was still dripping off her skin.

Irvine stopped suddenly, an earnest look coming to his face. "Selphie…?" he whispered, staring down at her.

"What?" she responded shortly, missing the look in his eyes. He turned her toward him, and she suddenly stopped shivering. 

"I'm…" he trailed off, hand still on her arm. "… Extremely soaked," he concluded finally, breaking into a drunken grin.

Selphie laughed, giving him a slap upside the arm. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"I'll take that, thank you," a small figure intercepted them, snatching Selphie's umbrella. Watching his back, she realized it was Rohan, one of the last kids to leave the court. Better for him to have it than her.

Ducking her head from the rain, she started after him toward the mess hall but was restrained by the hand still on her arm.

"No, come this way," Irvine said, pulling her in the opposite direction toward the lake. Too soaked and distracted to protest, Selphie ran alongside him, nearly tripping over her own feet a few times. His grip was stronger than she remembered.

After a brief run, they reached their destination, the large wooden gazebo at the end of the dock. Looking back over her shoulder, Selphie realized it indeed was the shorter trip to shelter, but she hadn't thought of it.

Rinoa stood beside Selphie under the roof of mess hall porch and watched the two best friends run under the lake gazebo. The eight-year-old looked up at her. 

"I didn't plan that one," she said, "but hey! All the better." She rubbed her hands together mischievously. Rinoa ruffled her hair. 

"Come on. Let's go inside."

***************************************************

A/N#2: A million apologies for the month's absence. I know how much I hate it when people don't keep up with their stories BUT! you will be pleased to know that my junior year in high school is FINALLY over, and I can devote much more time to finishing this story with an ending even I can't imagine right now. ^_^

So yeah, you'll see chapter twenty-four by Saturday, maybe even before. All 3000 words of it will be what happens with Irvine and Selphie under the gazebo. Ooh…


	23. Fall Again

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Twenty-Four: Fall Again 

The wooden planks creaked as they reached the gazebo with relieved sighs. Selphie glanced down at herself before gathering the hem of her red shirt in both hands, wringing out a generous fall of rain water. With a quick look at Irvine, she gathered her hair over one shoulder and shook the tresses free.

He didn't seem too phased by the rain. In fact, as she watched him stare out across the lake, she would almost say he enjoyed the unexpected shower. Irvine had always been one for making light of a situation.

He turned toward her suddenly, and she blinked, almost embarrassed to be caught watching him. She turned, as always, to sarcasm for cover.

"You okay, Anti-pyro?" she asked, still wringing out her clothes. 

"Right as rain," he returned, looking back out over the lake. "Just a little afternoon summer storm. Won't kill ya."

Selphie smirked. "No, but it'll force you under the same roof with some idiot for an hour."

Irvine sent her a sideways smile, making her shiver from the rain. She was sure it was the rain.

"How have you really been?" he questioned suddenly, hands in pockets. His gaze swept over the lake as he watched the droplets disturb the clear surface. 

"What?"

She didn't know a good opportunity for conversation when she saw one, did she? Smiling, Irvine turned to face her. "There's something on your mind. I can tell."

Selphie faltered a little, laughing nervously. "You could always tell."

He was not to be sidetracked. "What is it?"

Selphie shook her head, looking back toward camp. "You're here…" she said softly. "You're all here. Sometimes I feel like we can't get away from each other, no matter what happens."

Her tone bordered on nostalgic. Blinking, Irvine stared at her. "Is that a bad thing?"

Selphie smiled. "Just ironic." She stopped, debating whether or not to tread any further down her memory. In another lifetime, she had been in love with Irvine, not wanting to leave his side for all the world, but now… she wasn't the same Selphie she had been. But did that change her feelings as well? 

"Sefie…"

She stiffened at her nickname, just barely looking back over her shoulder at him. He was still a safe distance away because, Hyne help her, if words weren't enough to remind her, his touch certainly was.

"Why did you leave?"

She turned full around.

"I know we danced around this last night, but…" Irvine trailed off, seeing that she understood. She finally seemed to realize that he wasn't as clueless as everyone thought he was. Seventeen he may have been, but it wasn't a coincidence that his best friend left after he told her he loved someone else.

Selphie felt her heart flutter in her chest. The time to be honest was now, though she wasn't sure if she could tell him everything. She still didn't know if half of what she felt for him was still locked in the past. Swallowing, she looked him in the eye. "It was stupid, I know," she began. "But… I didn't know what else to do. And Therise and Solan were always so nice to me, even when I left for Garden. I felt like I had to make it up to them."

"Just them?" Irvine asked, terribly quiet.

Selphie cast her gaze down, guilt seizing her. It was obvious the situation still stung. She felt his pain.

"What about Quistis?" he went on. "She never saw you again."

Selphie closed her eyes.

Irvine took a small step toward her, the wood beneath him strangely silent. 

__

Don't come any closer, Selphie thought helplessly. She looked up, noticing the glassy state of his eyes. Her first instinct was still to comfort him, but the air between them had become somewhat stale.

"One of the last things she told me was to name our daughter Selphie," he said softly, momentarily glancing in the direction of the mess hall. "Any idea why?"

The Trabian managed a small smirk. "Hey, what can I say, I'm in demand."

He was in front of her suddenly, and she hadn't noticed his slow walk toward her until he was standing not two feet from her. Her smile faded as she resisted taking a step back. His brown eyes fixed on hers.

"… Tell me why you really left."

Silence reigned as Selphie met his impending stare. He was so intent on hearing her answer—any answer. And she should have given him one a long time ago, but the circumstances had been too twisted. 

"Because you let me."

She could see the surprise on his face, clear as day. It had been the last thing he expected her to say, but it made the most sense, and she was more than happy to tell him so. He'd resented her for leaving when he should have been the one to make sense of her situation. Wasn't that what best friends were for? Wasn't that what she had done for him the night he confided in her about telling Quistis he loved her? 

Selphie shook her head, determined to jump the hurdle between them. "Irvine," she began, taking his hands in hers. They were warm. "It's not like it was easy for me to leave you. I beat myself up over it for a long time, especially when I thought about how I might never see you again."

Irvine nodded agreeingly.

"And Quistis," she added, a momentary sadness washing over her. "I didn't know it would be the last time I'd see her. And I was happy for both of you. Don't ever think I wasn't."

"I know," he replied. "… I know."

A short silence passed, during which they both realized their hands were still together. Looking down, Selphie shifted to pull away, but his grip on her tightened. Surprised, she looked up, and the mysterious glint in his eyes was back.

"Irvine…?"

__

Let go of her, you idiot, he chastised himself, but his hands wouldn't agree with his conscience. Just what was he trying to do? This was Selphie, and yet that was just it—it was _Selphie_. She was his best friend, his…

The rain came down around them, its refreshing sound echoing off the wooden architecture of the gazebo. Everything seemed to fade away under his gaze, and she found herself inevitably traveling down Heartbreak Avenue, as Lavinia liked to call it.

Irvine smirked. "Wanna dance?"

The question knocked the haze from her eyes so fast that she almost laughed at the sudden change of mood. Confusion laced her features as she squinted up at him, and she was suddenly reminded of how swiftly he liked to change subjects when they had been teenagers.

In answer, he swung their clasped hands. "While we're stranded here, you know. What else is there to do?" he asked softly, even logically.

Selphie did laugh this time, a short burst of amusement that couldn't contain itself any longer. "No music," she informed him, wondering why she had whispered the words. Even with the rain falling, the quiet between them seemed to possess a pureness that words would disrupt. 

Her choice of words would later be regretted, however, when Irvine simply smiled and placed an unexpected hand around her back, just below her shoulder blade.

"Ours is a strange story…" he sang, stepping into a simple waltz.

Selphie laughed, following his half-clumsy lead. The song was more than familiar to her—to anybody who knew anything about old musicals. 

"Where did it begin; where will it end?" she chimed in, surprised that he had a decent singing voice. There was a charming drawl to it, just the way he talked.

"What are we destined for?" they went on, laughing and moving light-footed across the circular floor. She had never been an exceptional dancer, but the years seemed to smooth over any awkward lankiness. 

He turned her under his arm. "I really wish one of us knew…" 

"No, it's, 'He doesn't know and neither do I,'" Selphie corrected him, side stepping into a hand switch.

"Oh, sorry—he doesn't know and neither do I," Irvine amended, hearing her voice join his mid-sentence. This was certainly the most fun he'd had since… well, the basketball game. 

"But congratulations," they sang on between laughs, surprisingly not tripping over each other in the process. "You have found someone's love. And you're so close to her, but now you're distant from me…"

Their voices faded as they locked gazes again, finally registering the words they sang. The dance stopped almost as abruptly as it had begun, but he hadn't pulled away completely. One name promenaded deafeningly through their momentary rush of emotion.

__

Quistis…

Selphie dropped his hand, turning out of his loose embrace with a thoughtful, "hmp." Irvine didn't stop her this time, his mind too preoccupied with forming an apology. He hadn't meant to bring up a song that hit so close to home.

But it was true for Selphie, wasn't it? He had found someone else's love, and while Quistis didn't replace the void in his heart where Selphie had been, he did find himself distant from his best friend after that.

Selphie turned and sent him a small smile. "So how was the wedding that I never got to see?"

This conversation was taking sharp turns in every direction, it seemed. Irvine couldn't help but notice how she was neatly and expertly catching on to his play on words. Thoughts of Quistis had probably lead to thoughts of her life rather than her death—Selphie wasn't one to dwell on sad circumstances. Either that or she would run from them.

And thoughts of Quistis' life had probably brought forth mile markers such as getting married and having a daughter. 

Irvine shifted footing. Talking about his wife was still something he couldn't do without putting up a few walls. Even if it was Selphie. "Simple and small. Just the way she always wanted."

Selphie nodded. "To think that good ol' Quisty was the one who would make you settle down."

Irvine shrugged one shoulder casually. "Oh, I don't know about that." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I think someone else had me good and roped before her."

Despite the fluttering in her stomach, Selphie smiled waveringly at him. Hyne, if he said one more word in THAT direction, she would surely melt into a puddle of oblivion. She was falling down that same hole she had drowned in so many years before—again! Wouldn't she ever learn? Wouldn't she ever be free of Irvine Kinneas once and for all?

They were both treading on dangerous ground, but they were hesitant to back away at the same time, fearful that the chance for honesty would never come again. 

He took a step toward her and the universe seemed to compress. The rain still poured relentlessly on Camp Walden, quick to do away with any rational thought. The only thing that existed to him was now, and the only thing he saw was her.

Selphie swallowed a stale breath of air, unable to force her eyes away from his this time. She watched, paralyzed, as he lifted his hand and brushed a damp lock of hair from her face, his touch soft as a whisper. 

Surprising both of them, she reached up, taking his hand as it rested against her cheek. "Don't," she whispered, almost too quiet to hear. Her thoughts were racing at imperceptible speeds, and the only answer she wanted from him still seemed millions of miles away. 

"Don't what?" he returned softly, taking another step.

Selphie bowed her head, folding her small hand in his. He _wasn't_ going to make her say it, no way on earth.

In truth, he was barely conscious of the soft jab of some small object in his hand, but suddenly his senses seemed to sharpen and focus. Curious, he pulled her hand toward him, his thumb catching the sharp point of a…

Selphie looked up in confusion, watching him as he flipped her hand over, palm down. His thumb finally moved to reveal the engagement ring on her finger, the exquisitely cut diamond shining in all its glory.

In a great flood of emotion, the spell between them was broken, replaced by the cold kiss of reality. Selphie uttered a silent gasp, her hand wrenching from his at the same moment he dropped it in disbelief.

She backed away, covering her mouth. Irvine stared at her with what could only be described as incredibility. Unbidden, a sheen of tears came to her emerald eyes, and she shook her head slowly, staring at him with a mixture of sorrow, regret, and most of all, love.

Irvine watched her every movement, paralyzed as she had been moments before, searching for any sign that it wasn't true. It couldn't be true. 

They stood for what seemed like an eternity, two statues frozen in time, their questions never answered, their love never allowed to fly. 

Then, with one last gasp of breath, Selphie turned and ran from the gazebo, her sobs echoing through the rain as it came down in a merciless torrent. 

*****************************************

A/N: _It's the heart afraid of breaking_

That never learns to dance

It's the dream afraid of waking

That never takes a chance

It's the one who won't be taken

Who cannot seem to give

And the soul afraid of dying

That never learns to live

Bette Midler, _The Rose_


	24. Speak of the Devil

A/N: Oh, yes. Even I almost forgot about poor Heath. Poor, poor Heath. Sigh.

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty-Five: Speak of the Devil

She had no destination in mind, no specific place to run. She could only think of getting away from him, leaving everything she had ever truly known about life and love.

__

Yes, run, Selphie. It's what you do best, she couldn't help but think as she tripped blindly through the rain. But how could she have forgotten about Heath? What was she? Some swoony little schoolgirl? This was engagement she had forgotten, not just any casual relationship. What would people think? What would Bianca think of her soon to be daughter-in-law?

What would Irvine think?

She was solidly sure of the answer in his eyes when he saw the ring. Betrayal had surfaced quickly before fading back into disbelief. And even then, she felt she had betrayed him in some way. She was _engaged_, and she had just spent the past ten minutes dancing around the one sentence she had been ready to tell him another man a long time ago.

Love. _Love!_ Whoever invented such a thing needed to be hunted down and shot. Oh, why couldn't life just be simple? Why couldn't she just leave the insecure girl in her in the past where she belonged?

Selphie slowed to a walk as her feet pattered rhythmically against the wet ground. The rain hadn't lessened any, and her modest attempts to wring out her clothes had been made in vain. She was soaked to the skin, hair matted in wavy clumps that clung to her face. Her gaze lifted as she caught her breath, finally realizing where she had run to.

A few feet from her drenched form was the cabin she shared with Lavinia. Sighing tiredly, she wiped her cheeks clean of the few stray tears that had escaped. Truthfully, the rain trickling down her face disguised them, but she felt the need. On shaky legs, she mounted the wooden steps and gratefully pushed open the cabin door, too distracted to notice that it had already been slightly ajar.

The corner banged with unnecessary force against the adjacent wall, catching the attention of the lone figure who stood in her room. 

Selphie blinked in utter shock.

********************************************************

__

She's running from you again.

Irvine didn't know whether or not the voice was his, but it was the only thing he could hear in the few minutes after watching Selphie run from him.

Again.

The ring. It was an engagement ring—no diamond was ever casual—and that could only mean that his Selphie was getting married.

__

His Selphie? Since when had he become so possessive? Sighing angrily, Irvine kicked the wood beneath him, ashamed and guilty for thinking that it would be easy seeing her again. What had he been expecting? For her to welcome him with open arms and declare her undying love?

She was beautiful, his best friend, and she always had been. There would have been something wrong if she hadn't been engaged by now. She had learned to move on with her life, where as he had learned to hold on to the one person he had chosen as his life partner, who now lay six feet beneath the Esthar soil.

Glumly, he realized he hadn't been the only one to be carried away by rain and a romantic setting. This was Selphie he had been wanting to dance with, _Selphie_ who he wanted to hold and comfort until their pain went away. He'd waited so long to finally admit that she was so much more than just his best friend, yet now it seemed that was all she would ever be.

He had no grounds to feel betrayed. If one of them had been betrayed, it was she, eleven years ago, in Balamb Garden's courtyard.

A second Selphie entered his thoughts, and he looked quickly toward the mess hall, feeling like the worst father in the world. And the worst husband. And the worst best friend. 

Blindly, he ran through the rain, ducking his head from the onslaught of water. A few moments later, he entered the crowded mess hall through the front doors, his soaked form catching the attention of the children closest to the entrance, his daughter included. Frowning, she ran off toward the kitchen with Lavinia by her side. Rinoa, hearing his entry, turned her head expectantly.

"Irvine!" she exclaimed, rising from her seat. Squall imitated her.

He met her halfway, wiping the water from his forehead. "Have you seen Selphie?"

"I'm right here," his daughter chirped, blessedly handing him a dish towel.

"No, not you, Squirt. The other one," Irvine wiped his face and turned back to Rinoa. The sorceress raised both eyebrows.

"I thought she was with you," she said, glancing back at Squall. "Right?"

"She was, but she…" he paused at the perplexed looks around him, "… left," he finished slowly, looking at his daughter.

Lavinia squinted. "But where would she go in this weather?"

"To change."

Five heads looked toward the doors in perfect unison as Selphie stepped through, smoothly closing up her umbrella and shaking the water off. True to her words, her red shirt and skirt had been replaced by a navy blue Camp Walden T-shirt and khakis. Her hair was still damp from her previous run through the rain, but her appearance was presentable—more so than Irvine's, anyhow.

"I didn't want to catch pneumonia," she finished feebly, looking from face to face.

Irvine squinted slightly, not missing the change in her demeanor. There was a sense of unease in her tone of voice and they way she looked at them, almost as if she was recovering from some grand scale surprise…

The door opened again, and Selphie looked away.

"Man, things weren't this nice when I went to camp," Heath said, admiring the wooden beam structure of the mess hall as he walked in. His gaze lowered to the small group in front of him and he smiled, "Hey, this must be the gang you were talking about." His statement was obviously directed toward Selphie, but she made no visible or audible answer.

"You must be Lavinia," he went on, walking up to Rinoa and shaking her hand in a firm greeting. "Selphie told me all about you being the queen of camp."

The General's daughter blinked, only half-heartedly returning the handshake. "Uh, well, actually…" she paused, momentarily taking in Selphie's attempt at hiding a smile. "I'm Rinoa," she corrected him before looking over her shoulder. "And this is my _fiancé_, Squall."

Heath dropped her hand tactfully. "Oh, sorry there," he said good-naturedly, looking to the man behind her. Squall nodded once to him, silent as ever. Heath laughed nervously, making a mental note never to get in the future husband's way. "I know how it is when you want a woman all to yourself."

__

That makes two of us, Irvine thought absently, his eyes void of emotion.

"You must be Heath, then," Lavinia said finally, breaking the suspicion. She stepped forward, though whether it was to introduce herself or intercept the hole Irvine was boring through the man, was hard to say. "I'm Lavinia."

"Yes, I am Heath," he confirmed, shaking her offered hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Irvine needed no further cushioning; the place where he had fallen had already been paved with concrete and lined with iron spikes. He held out his hand. "Congratulations on the engagement."

Every word stung with a force greater than the last, but his voice didn't betray him. Heath met him eye to eye, his forehead creasing in subtle curiosity. "Thanks. I don't think we've—"

"Irvine," he supplied quickly. "Irvine Kinneas."

Selphie closed her eyes, not wanting to see the surprise on Rinoa and Squall's face. Even Selphie. Little eight-year-old Selphie, the only fragment of Quistis she had left in this world. In front of the very people she had shared her childhood with she was betraying for a love that didn't even exist.

Lavinia graciously took over, noticing the suddenly stiff forms of the remainder of Selphie's friends. "So, uh, why are you here, exactly?" she asked the unknowing male, her tone barely past polite.

"Oh, I figured the wedding was in August, and I wouldn't see Selphie for two months while she was away at summer camp, so I just decided to drop in and surprise her," Heath answered

The wedding's in August, Irvine thought. So soon? The thought made him wonder how long they had been engaged. 

"Well, congratulations," Lavinia went on, "I heard it was going to be a big event."

"To which you're all invited, of course," Heath answered, looking around the group. Beside him, Selphie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."

The conversation spun into more sugar-coated well wishes as Rinoa and Squall, hiding their surprise and yes, disappointment, congratulated Selphie on her engagement. Irvine stood silent, his heart beating loudly in his chest, rumbling in his ears like a menacing drum. He didn't recognize the soft breath of touch against his fingers until he looked down and saw his daughter's small hand in his.

Selphie looked up, her usually bright eyes turned a ominous shade of blue-gray. Her delicate grasp tightened with her diminishing faith. "… Daddy…?"

By now, the group had begun ushering themselves to a nearby table with Heath's arm draped protectively behind Selphie. She looked back over her shoulder at Irvine, her expression helpless and apologetic. Irvine shook his head slightly, not needing her defense. She hadn't done anything wrong.

"… It's okay, Squirt," he said finally, turning back to his daughter. He knelt to her eye level and drew her into a comforting embrace. He knew his only child had been more than happy to find the woman she had been named after. But any hope of staying with her had too quickly been crushed. His breath puffed against her ear as he thought of Quistis. "It'll be okay."

****************************************************

Night descended before they spoke again. Thed had insisted on a game of charades and thirty kids had jumped at the opportunity, Little Selphie included. So he stood apart from the game, watching with interest. A few minutes later, he saw his best friend walk up out of the corner of his eye, her hands clasped in front of her as she approached him. 

"Irvine…"

His name always had such a nice ring when she spoke it. He turned his head and uncrossed his arms. "Selphie," he returned. He couldn't help the next statement. "Where's Heath?"

She didn't look surprised. "Playing basketball with a few of the boys."

"Oh."

An awkward silence passed. Irvine resumed his watching, a small smile on his face as he watched Anya imitate a bird of some sort. Kaylo sat frowning at her, clearly not understanding.

Selphie opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't say a word," Irvine stopped her, still watching his daughter's friend. "The only thing that needs to be said is what I'm going to tell you right now." He looked at her.

Selphie was surprised this time, her emerald eyes widening momentarily. After a long, pregnant moment, she finally nodded.

Irvine sighed into the night and momentarily glanced down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Sel. I should be a lot happier for you. I mean… you're getting married."

Selphie deflected her gaze in discomfort.

"Hyne knows it was the best thing that ever happened to me," Irvine went on, grinning. Finally, he managed to get a small laugh to escape her solemn features. It had always been easy for her to loosen up around Irvine, but always incredibly easy to stiffen up as well.

He paused a moment before continuing. "… Just seeing you again was enough for me. I could live a hundred years now with this memory."

A sadness flashed in her eyes.

"I'm happy for you," Irvine said finally, saying the words he had avoided for the past few hours. A small part of him knew he was still saying it out of compassion. "You're the best friend I ever had. So no apologies, all right?"

This is why she still loved him. She had finally admitted it to herself; no matter where she ran or who she married, Irvine Kinneas wouldn't ever leave her heart. She liked it that way. Even if they couldn't be together, she could enjoy his company while he was still with her. Her days were running short—two months, to be exact. Slowly, she smiled. "All right." 

Irvine nodded, crossing his arms again. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, even if the one on his heart still lingered. 

"Hey Dad!"

Both adults turned at Selphie's familiar voice.

"Come play with us!" she said, waving them over. Anya and Kaylo beckoned in unison with her, almost as if on cue. "You too, Miss Selphie!"

They looked at each other with small shrugs. What else was there to do?

"We're going through movies right now," Selphie informed her father when he sat down beside her. The other Selphie lingered beside Anya and Kaylo.

"Why don't you take a shot, Irvine?" Thed suggested suddenly, his eyes twinkling. "Something tells me you're a ham."

His modest protests were drowned out by the enthusiastic agreements from both Selphies and the entire lot of children soon joined in. It was obvious they had turned to him for the past day's entertainment.

"Ooh! Can I tell him what movie to do?" Selphie perked up suddenly, bobbing up and down in her seat. 

Thed smiled at the little girl. "Okay, but you don't get to give clues to your team, got it?"

"No problem!" she replied happily, joining her father in front of their seated audience. Crooking her finger at him, she whispered the title in his ear.

Selphie smiled at the interaction. Irvine as a father was still such an interesting sight to her.

Irvine frowned suddenly, pulling away from his only remaining family. "That's not a movie," he claimed, confused.

"Yes it is!" Selphie grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Selphie had seen that glint somewhere…

"No, it's not, honey. I think I'd know."

"It is, Dad. You're just buying time," Selphie waved him off, coming back to her seat beside Anya. 

"But Sel—" he cut off, left alone in front of thirty kids, fifteen of whom were suppose to guess the movie he had been given. But there was no way a movie with that name existed; he was sure of it.

"Come on, Mr. Kinneas!" Kaylo shouted, pumping a fist in the air. A chorus of similar cheers followed as Quistis' daughter smiled evilly to herself. The older Selphie glanced around at the children, loosening up for the first time in the last few hours. She looked back to Irvine and smiled her encouragement. Irvine at charades; the thought was amusing.

"Oh.. kay," he said to himself, only slightly nervous. "How am I supposed to do this?" he muttered to no one in particular, looking around the stage space for any props. Wait… could he use props? Oh, what did it matter now.

Selphie almost laughed at his state of unease. 

"Okay, uh…" Irvine faced his team, an idea springing to his head. Proudly, he held up three fingers.

"Three…" Selphie said obviously, arching an eyebrow. "Um… three words?"

Irvine nodded, giving her a thumbs up. Inwardly, he was imagining how cheesy he must have looked. Words had always been his strong point. He'd used them to charm ladies (in the old days), get out of sticky situations, and even bribe people once or twice in his life. Witty comments had always been well stocked up his sleeve, but now, using only actions in a simple game of charades proved a rather thought-provoking task.

After a considerable moment, Irvine finally pointed to his eye.

"Face?" Anya guessed in unison with a, "Huh?" from Kaylo.

Selphie frowned. "Forehead?"

He shook his head at all three. Suddenly, Little Selphie clamped a hand over her mouth, her feet swinging wildly as the twinkle in her eye brightened even more. Whether she was covering the giggle or the answer from flying out of her mouth was hard to say.

And meanwhile, Irvine was now drawing a shape in the air with his index finger.

Thed had leaned back in his seat and was watching with interest.

"Horseshoe!" came a yell from one of the kids, answered with another shake of the head from Irvine.

"Irvine, what are you doing? I can't understand anything you're acting out," Selphie nagged him, her hands opening in a helpless fashion.

After another minute of two of poor charading and wrong guesses, Anya finally sighed and walked out center stage. The crowd hushed at the interference but watched in growing interest as she approached Irvine and motioned to her ear. A little more than confused, Irvine cast a glance at Thed, who merely shrugged in response, before crouching down to whisper the title in the girl's ear.

After a moment, Anya pulled back, resisting a roll of her eyes as she flailed her arms in a gesture that radiated, "Duh!"

Accordingly, she took his hand and placed it on her heart, crossed her other arm over it, then placed it on Irvine's heart.

"Oh…" he said lamely, watching her perform the task with mind-numbing ease.

Their audience was still silent. Selphie squinted slightly and tilted her head. "Do it again?"

Smiling, Anya repeated the action, barely patting Irvine's heart before Selphie came to life again.

"I love you!"

Anya snapped and pointed in one motion at her camp instructor and pertly saluted Irvine before skipping back to her seat. Kaylo and Selphie couldn't suppress their small giggles.

Irvine looked at his best friend, a sheepish smile on his face. "Yeah… I love you."

Her heart drummed loudly as she consciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She was sure she had blushed somewhere in that space of three seconds. He was just telling her she had guessed right, wasn't he? 

Little Selphie glanced back and forth between the two, determined as ever. The hour of disappointment following the news of the engagement had ended in an epiphany of sorts. She took it as a sign—she'd better hurry or she wasn't ever going to know Miss Selphie in a motherly capacity. Why had she been wasting her time with basketball and past memories? Hyne, she should have jumped straight to the love confessions.

"Selphie?"

Both females looked up at the voice. Lavinia stood there, her arms carrying the sleeping bundle that was her four-year-old son. It was probably in the neighborhood of nine o'clock. 

"You have a phone call in Thed's office. I didn't recognize the voice," she reported, shifting the weight in her arms. "She's on line one."

"Oh, thanks," Selphie smiled at her co-worker, grateful and yet disappointed at the escape she could make from Irvine's stare. The game carried on without her and she walked carefully through the wet campground. The chatter and play of children faded in the distance as she approached Thed's office. 

She pulled open the screen door and headed over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, darling."

"Bianca?" Selphie asked blankly, too surprised to be embarrassed by her blatancy. Bianca was such a quiet, conservative, and ladylike woman. 

"Yes, dear, it's me." Was that restlessness in her voice?

"Oh… how are you?" Selphie perched lightly on the edge of Thed's desk.

"Very troubled, I'm afraid." She paused a moment, heightening the suspense in the air. Then everything came out in a rush. "Oh Selphie, I didn't know what else to do. I know you're probably loving that summer camp of yours and the last thing you want to hear is bad news, but… something terrible has happened."

The Trabian stiffened. "… What is it?"

******************************************

A/N#2: Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Evil cliffhanger, isn't it? Hehe. ^_^


	25. She Loves You

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty-Six: She Loves You

"… What?"

Selphie swallowed, clasping her hands together in her lap. She sat on her bed across from Heath, head bowed as she relayed the conversation she'd had with his mother over the phone. Therise had fainted. 

"She had a heart attack," Selphie said again, shaking her head. "She was still unconscious when Bianca called, but the doctors said she should come to in a few hours." 

"… Hyne, I can't believe this…" Heath said in a near whisper, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be all right?"

Selphie nodded absently, placing her hand atop his with a reassuring squeeze. She closed her eyes, gathering the courage to utter her next words. She would do it once again.

"… We have to leave tonight."

*******************************************

Selphie was crying. She hadn't cried in years. She had always been such a bubbly and upbeat child, never willing to let scraped knees or cancelled trips to the park bring tears to her eyes. She was solid and strong, just like her mother, yet fun-loving and free-minded like her father. 

But she was crying. Her little head was nestled trustingly against Irvine's chest, her tears spilling onto his shirt as she cried for Selphie's leaving, and for her father's split heart in realizing too late whom he belonged with. She cried for her lost chance. She cried for their lost chance. And, as long as it was pouring out in a endless torment, she cried for her mother—the deceased mother she had never known and wished so often to.

Irvine held her a crushing embrace as the roar of Heath's Cadillac Escalade vibrated through the camp before speeding up the winding road to Polaris' main city streets. At that moment, he couldn't hold her close enough. She was all he had left in the world. She was the reason he woke up every morning and fell asleep every night, feeling like he had accomplished something in life. 

The few camp children who had stayed awake disappeared back to the their bunks after the car drove away, saddened at Miss Selphie's hurried departure. Lavinia walked through them, nodding good night to those she knew well. She didn't stop until she reached Rinoa's side, Squall's arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

"She's not coming back," she remarked softly.

Rinoa nodded, looking up to the camp gate that was now electronically closing. The iron bars met with a metallic clang as the crickets chirped on in the sudden quiet.

"I know," Rinoa replied gravely, glancing at the father and daughter a few yards in front of her. The scene tore at her insides, but she refused to let sorrow override the bitterness. Selphie was leaving everything she truly needed… again. 

She looked away. "… I know."

******************************************

Walden Lake had lost its luster. Just the night before, the calm waters had shimmered in the moonlight, creating the foundation of a dreamland he had startlingly been woken from. The trees had swayed in the soft wind, whispering the hopes and dreams of a young girl. Yet they stood dark and still now, looming over him like a great shadow. The lake was soundless beneath his dangling feet. The moon hung black in the sky. The soft breeze only brought an empty chill through the dark and silent campground which sat amidst a clearing of the Galbadian forests.

Footsteps. They wandered quietly onto the dock, sandal meeting wood. He didn't turn at the sound. He knew exactly who it was. He knew exactly what she would say.

"How are you?"

Irvine nodded once. "Fine."

Rinoa reached his side. Thoughtfully, she stared down at the down at his head a moment before crouching down to the dock and sitting beside him. "Are you sure?" she asked gently—too gently. She might as well have been discussing the weather or the beauty of the country side.

She received no answer.

It was nearing midnight now as they looked out across the scenery of camp, silent for a few strained minutes. Even the crickets had retired.

Rinoa looked at her folded hands, gathering courage. "You're the one that's fine…"

Irvine turned his face just enough for her to glimpse a little more than his profile.

"But what about Selphie?"

Irvine turned his profile again, recognizing the conversation. His eyes were distant and unfocused as he nearly whispered, "… What about her?" 

Rinoa hugged her knees. "You don't think she needs a mother?"

A late breath of summer air glided by, ruffling their clothing against them. It almost seemed to answer her question in a silent and mysterious way.

"What are you doing, Irvine?" she said finally, looking him in the eye. "Why are you sitting here all by yourself thinking about how unfair life is when it's walking away from you and you're just staring after it?"

Irvine stared at the water. "She's engaged."

"She loves you," Rinoa countered, her voice untrembling, despite the glisten in her eyes. "She always has, don't you know that?"

Irvine closed his eyes.

"She isn't strong enough to tell you, Irvine. She keeps running away because you're letting her." Rinoa sniffed once, glancing at the stars. "I know how much Quistis meant to you, but I know that Selphie is more than just your best friend." Rinoa leaned forward. "She's more than that to Selphie too. You can't deny this to yourself or your daughter anymore."

Selphie as his little Selphie's mother. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought of it before that day… before that year. Dammit, Rinoa was right. The rest of the world had wronged him, but the little sorceress who had caused so much trouble during the Ultimecia affair was the one right mind left in his world. He was broken, Selphie was afraid, his little Selphie was tired of trying. But Rinoa… she was just logical.

Without another word, she rose in one swift motion and turned away, her cold footsteps echoing against the wooden dock. 

Irvine cradled his head in one hand as he closed his eyes against the dull ache. Oh, he would give his next two years salary for a bottle of aspirin and one night with Selphie. Just once to tell her the truth. If she ran from him again, he would have left her alone for eternity. 

Love had been the only word to tie with his wife. She was exactly that—his wife, the one he had chosen to wake up next to every morning and hold until the elements forced them apart. It was different when he thought of Selphie. She was buried in the depths of his very soul, as a sister, as a friend, and as a love. He had come this far without Quistis, but without Selphie… even his daughter might not save him this time around.

He thought of Quistis, the only woman he had ever known so completely. In the months following her death, he would imagine her coming to sit beside him as he watched television or worked at his desk. They would smile knowingly at each other, silent and understanding. Even death couldn't separate them.

But then he would open his eyes and find himself alone, with a greater weight on his heart where she had left him. 

He opened his eyes. A gentle breeze whispered by his ear, and an odd sense of reality washed over him. He could almost feel her with him again…

Jaw tight, Irvine finally stood, staring hard at the space before him. There was nothing else he could do at camp. Selphie had left him there with the excuse of yet another sick parent, but he needed one moment. Just one moment to finally tell her. 

And he would get it.

************************************************

A/N: Any Ripley fans? And if you're not, WHY AREN'T YOU? She's the greatest writer on this site! Ahem, anyway, I just wanted to say I stole the aspirin line from her. I think it was in the latest chapter of Riders on the Storm.


	26. The Clock Is Ticking

Something Happens In My Heart - Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Clock Is Ticking

Bell Isle Hospital was deathly silent when Selphie burst through the side doors. It was well past visiting hours and even third shift hours, resulting in a large, empty lobby. But a lone figure stood waiting at the elevator. Her head turned when the doors opened.

"Selphie! You're here!" Bianca said, meeting them halfway. Selphie hugged the elder woman briefly before letting Heath take his turn. 

"How is she?" Selphie asked, looking anxiously toward the ceiling as if she could see through to the third floor where her foster mother currently resided.

"She's awake," Bianca reported happily, pressing for the elevator. "About thirty minutes ago she came to. She's just tired now."

The hospital room was bare and painted lavender against white. Next to the heavily draped window stood a single bed with various tubes and wires connecting to operating machines with blinking red and green lights. The small table next to it was occupied only by a phone and small porcelain cup of pens. Three chairs dotted the floor space

Selphie walked in, oddly feeling like the room was closing in on her. Bianca was at her side with Heath following closely, closing the door behind them. Therise lay with a pale blue throw spread over her form and a white mountain of pillows cushioning her head. Her eyes were closed. Her breathing was deep, even strained at times.

Wordlessly, Selphie took the seat by the bedside, reaching for her hand. Solan entered her thoughts immediately, reliving the day she had walked into his hospital room with Therise by her side, hoping against hope for him to wake. Now it was Bianca who had led her in, and Therise the sleeping parent. 

She opened her eyes just barely at the touch. "… Selphie…"

An answer was unnecessary, so she merely smiled. It took more strength than she expected. 

Heath took the seat on the other side of the bed. "We're all here."

They sat for what seemed like hours, taking turns getting the whole story from both Bianca and Therise. At intervals, the latter would drift into a light sleep and come back a few minutes later with no recollection of the action. Heath watched as Selphie's eyes saddened more with every passing minute. 

It was three o'clock in the morning when Selphie turned to him after Therise had fallen asleep again. "Why don't you head on home?" she said quietly, glancing at Bianca's sleeping form on the chair. "I'm sure your mom would appreciate it."

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be all right?"

Selphie nodded once, managing a small smile. He returned it and gave her a brief kiss before gently shaking his mother awake. They left through the open door, leaving it barely ajar. Selphie thought momentarily of Irvine and his daughter, and what they were doing at the moment. Most likely sleeping. She had chosen to leave camp at the ungodly hour of eleven and even then the pair had shown up to bid her farewell. Rinoa, Squall, and Lavinia had joined them, along with a few other camp children she had been close to such as Anya and Kaylo. Rohan had stood with them.

Selphie closed her eyes. If she tried hard enough, she could drown out the memory of the Selphie's cries against her father's shoulder when Heath had pulled out of camp. She had been guilty of that herself, however. Their flight had been passing over the Balamb Continent, and the sight of Garden had almost reduced her to a helpless puddle. Against the moonlight, the facility looked magnificent, glorious in its structure and purpose, standing as a beacon for the world's finest mercenary school. 

Memories assaulted her as she remembered all the one hundred and one places where she and Irvine would enjoy each other's company. The Quad, the outdoor picnic area, the gyms, and even the main lobby was all still clear as day in her mind. Was this truly the life she had left behind? It seemed almost as if it had been another lifetime at Garden. Back then, she had been a rambunctious teenager, ready to take on the world. Now, she was demure as Quistis had been and… engaged.

"So serious…"

Selphie opened her eyes at the soft voice to find Therise staring at her, wide awake. 

The old woman smiled. "Tell me what you were thinking about."

"Oh…" Selphie said, drumming her fingers on the blanket. "Garden," she answered truthfully. 

"Miss it?"

"Just a little," she answered wistfully, looking off.

Therise nodded, a smile in her eyes. "How was camp? Oh yes, that's right. You only spent three days there because of me."

Selphie shook her head, not in answer, but in her remembrance of those three unforgettable days. She sighed. "… I loved it," she concluded softly, thinking of why and rather, who.

Therise squinted slightly, her gray eyes curious and pointed despite the weariness in them. When Selphie didn't comment any further on the matter, she decided to let it go. A quiet thoughtfulness hung between them. 

"… Darling…" Therise interrupted it, "are you happy?"

Selphie looked up. 

Therise shifted under the throw, her sigh echoing off the walls of the room. "I won't stall any longer, Selphie." Her voice was quiet and effective. "Time is scarce."

Selphie felt the tears come, unbidden, once again. The large part of her agreed, but a small part still hoped. 

"I don't say this to make you sad," Therise went on, holding on to her hand. "I say it to make you think. Are you really happy with what's happened, Selphie?"

"Don't say it like that," Selphie answered, desperate for a happy occasion in her life once and for all. Her engagement party had only made her feel like a doll, camp had been left in the dust, and now her compromised marriage would follow a—

Therise still held strong to her hand. "I'll give you one last chance, Selphie."

The Trabian listened, silencing her tears.

"Heath's house, this Saturday," Therise began, taking another long breath. "I'll be out of here by then, though most likely in a wheelchair. I'll tell him to invite all of Bell Isle and beyond, and we'll have one last party to see things out."

Selphie couldn't hide her surprise.

"No, I don't want it for the music or the dancing or even to see friendly faces." Therise stroked her foster daughter's cheek with her aged and knotted hand. "Give me something in you to leave with."

Selphie placed her hand atop her foster mother's, nodding slowly.

"I couldn't have asked for a better child, Selphie. These eleven years without Solan haven't been any less important to me. I'll always think of you as ours."

"I know," Selphie answered softly, thinking of the kindness they had shown her in her short time with them before the war. And even the time after, when she'd had only Therise for company for so many years. She couldn't have asked for better foster parents.

"Tell Heath and Bianca for me when they come tomorrow," Therise said. 

Selphie nodded. "… One last party," she promised before watching the elderly woman slip into another light sleep. She sighed, dropping her hand. "One last party."

****************************************************

Morning managed to come to Camp Walden by some divine force. The sun rose high in the cloudless blue sky, spreading its golden warmth on the swimming forms of camp children. Under the shade of the trees, a father and daughter were walking hand in hand, their conversation apart from the rest of the world.

Squall watched them in silent discretion through the open window of the cabin. Last night had been hard for both of them, but they were turning to each other to get through it, like they had done for eight years. Irvine was all his little Selphie had ever had, and she was everything he needed in life.

It wasn't until he saw his fiancée stiffen across from him that he turned back to her.

Rinoa nearly dropped the phone in her hand. "Excuse me, what was that?"

The receptionist on the other end measuredly repeated the news. "Mr. Llewlyn will be holding a special gathering for his mother-in-law."

"And this is on Saturday, correct?" Rinoa almost stated, letting the information sink in. 

"Yes, ma'am, it is."

"Thank you very much. Bye."

She put the receiver down before the lady could respond. Squall raised an eyebrow. "What's on Saturday?" he quoted her.

"Heath's party. Therise's recovery," Rinoa answered, looking around the floor at the various items ready to be packed. She looked back up to Squall. "We have to hurry."

"We can't exactly just catch a private jet like Heath can, Rin. The airlines are tied up this time of year, and you wanna make it to Trabia in four days?" Squall reasoned. 

"It's not me, remember?" she declared, motioning out the door. "Irvine's the one who can't get rid of his cold feet," she snapped.

Squall suddenly went still. "… Did you say party?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"Do you think they might be speeding up the wedding because of Therise?" 

Rinoa blinked. "… It's just a party," she reminded him awkwardly, not believing her voice. He may have been right. "But that's why I said we have to hurry," she went on, picking up her purse. She noticed Squall staring at her thoughtfully.

"What?" she nearly barked. Oh, how the years had reduced poetic phrases and roses. He liked her this way.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his thoughts away. "When does he want to leave?"

"It better be by the end of this day or he's going to be sorry he didn't tell Selphie the truth a long time ago." Rinoa paused, glancing at her watch. Lunch time already. "The clock is ticking."

**********************************************************

A/N#2: Ah, what the heck. I'll upload the next chapter right now. ^_^


	27. Something Happens In My Heart

A/N: Damn, how do y'all know me? I get these reviews and emails goin' "Yo! Apple Pie, you're the one who wrote Tess Almasy." And yeah, that was an ice age ago as far as writing style is concerned. It's true, I have improved dramatically, but I thought everyone who knew me in the old days was long gone from this joint. Tess Almasy originally went up September of frickin' 2000. 

Enough rambling. Last chapter, folks. This is the finish line. You ready? I'm ready. Let's go.

Something Happens In My Heart – Chapter Twenty-Eight: Something Happens In My Heart

As Irvine stared at the expanse of mansion before him, he couldn't help but swallow his discomfort. Hyne, what did he think he was going to accomplish here? He wasn't that far from two hundred people, all who owned cars worth his year's salary, and all who were waiting to see the engaged couple celebrate Therise's return from the hospital.

The little hand clasped in his tightened its hold, and he looked down to see his daughter smiling up at him. She may have been upset by Selphie's leaving, but she'd been more than happy to know that her father wasn't finished with his best friend. The morning after that night, he'd asked her if she would mind going up to Trabia to see Miss Selphie. She had practically tackled him to the ground, no small task for a little one her size.

They both knew they wouldn't back down now. With Rinoa and Squall behind them, the four of them entered the front doors and came across a room that could only be described as extraordinary. Subtract the hundreds of guests, the wide, circular space, and the grand staircase that merged from two branching staircases, and one could have called it a living room. A very lavish living room that looked more like a ballroom, but a living room, nonetheless. 

"Wow," was all Selphie could say. Her young imagination could never have pictured a party such as this.

"We'll try to find Heath," Rinoa said, nodding once to Irvine before following Squall off in one direction. 

Selphie glanced around nervously. They were doing the right thing, weren't they?

****************************************

She walked with purpose. Her head high, she meandered through the gathered guests, even passing the groom-to-be, though he barely glanced in her direction before turning back to his circle. She shook her head slightly. 

The one to spot her was the little one. She had grown up so much! How long had it been since she'd last seen her? Two years? Time did wonders to a growing girl.

"Matron!" Selphie nearly shouted, momentarily covering her mouth afterward. Irvine turned swiftly at the name, looking in the direction his daughter had been facing.

"Selphie, darling, how are you?" Edea said, opening her arms. 

"Matron," Irvine repeated, staring wondrously at her. "What are you--"

"—Doing here?" she offered with a raised eyebrow. "I'd like to say I'm watching my Selphie get attached to a man she loves." A weak smile marred her features. "But that's only what I'd like to say."

"How did you--"

"—Find out?" she interrupted him again. "Squall called me yesterday and explained everything. I'm afraid Cid couldn't leave Garden on such short notice, but no one was stopping me." She looked out over the guests. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Smiling, it was Irvine's turn to be hugged. Hyne, there were some people in his life he just couldn't live without. Selphie… Selphie… and Matron. It was the way of life. Mother, wife, and daughter ruled a man's world.

"Thank you," he told her quietly. She smiled in return.

"Go find her," she said simply.

Irvine nodded, glancing once at Selphie. "Be good, Squirt."

She gave her father two thumbs up before watching him disappear in the crowd. Beside her, Edea smoothed her hair. "I heard you were the little matchmaker behind all this."

Selphie glanced up at her, smiling. Her delicate shoulders shrugged once. "No. Mom was."

**************************************************

"They're going to start any minute!" Rinoa hissed, meeting up with Squall and ushering him to a corner of the room. "I couldn't find Selphie or Heath anywhere."

"Same here," he said, looking out over the crowd of guests. "Matron's here, though. I saw her with Selphie over there."

Rinoa creased her brow. "I thought you just said you couldn't find Selphie."

"Yeah, the other Selphie."

"Which one?"

"Okay, let's do this," Squall said, both hands up, halting any further conversation. "Irvine's daughter Selphie is Selphie and Matron's daughter Selphie is Sef, all right?" To think that he was reducing himself to old nicknames!

"Fine. So Matron's with _Selphie_, then?"

"Yes."

"What if Irvine can't find the other one in time?" Rinoa went on, glancing up the stairs to the second level. 

"We can't do anything about that." Squall noticed the familiar black hair of Matron standing a fair distance away. "Come on, let's get everyone together. They're starting."

Rinoa nodded, hearing applause radiate through the crowd. A moment later, Heath ascended the staircase, stopping a good distance up as he looked over the gathered guests. He looked polished as always in his suit, but Rinoa couldn't help the slew of insults that entered her thoughts when she saw him. That was just it about him—he seemed too perfect. Too nice, too rich, too good-looking… it was all rather stale in that sense.

The guests hushed and the applause slowly died.

"I want to thank all of you for coming," Heath began. "This celebration tonight is for a wonderful woman who has truly given me the love most men only dream of."

A small chuckle echoed through the crowd.

"She is Therise Pilton, my soon to be mother-in-law, and my guest of honor tonight," Heath said, raising his champagne glass in the air. "We love you very much, Therise."

In unison, the numerous friends gathered in the room looked to the center of the circular open space where Therise sat, sure enough, in a wheelchair, her graceful form looking composed and serene. She nodded once to Heath with a smile. Bianca stood behind her, one hand on the handle of the wheelchair.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Heath's voice came again as the guests returned their attention. "My fiancée will be with us shortly to celebrate this occasion. Let's not waste the night away with words."

The entire room applauded as he stepped down, quickly joining a circle of men as they toasted and laughed merrily. Rinoa looked at Squall, subtle worry claiming her expression. Beside them, Selphie held tight to Edea's hand. Her father wouldn't let her down. Not now and not ever.

**********************************************

He heard the applause from downstairs and momentarily glanced over his shoulder back toward the party. His time was running short, but he knew what he had to do. Upstairs, he'd gotten through Bianca's various family members with a restroom excuse, though his true destination was Heath's room, where he had been told the bride-to-be currently was.

The halls were empty now, and he had wonder why. After a moment's suspicion, he figured Selphie had probably asked for a few minutes alone before she made her entrance. She had always done that before a big moment. At least some things never changed.

Like his determination. The door was in sight. 

~*~

Selphie looked long and hard at the engagement ring on her finger. It was beautiful, stunning in every way, and fit for a queen.

But she wasn't a queen. She was Selphie. And while Heath's square, four karat diamond stared up at her atop a solid silver band, it wasn't the precious little two karat diamond accompanied by one karats on either side atop a gold band… like she had seen and dreamt of so many years before. Dreams would stay dreams, then.

She lowered her hand and looked up into the night sky from Heath's large balcony, her emerald eyes shining in the moonlight. Gold Christmas lights wove prettily through the trelliswork decorating the balcony, and illuminated the space with an almost ethereal glow. The stars twinkled back and the sound of water trickled far below her on the grounds. The garden fountains had been turned on for the occasion.

She took a deep breath. Any minute now, she would have the face the guests and play the part of a cheerful and happy fiancée, even to Therise. Any minute now.

~*~

"Selphie?" Irvine asked, pushing the door open with one hand. The large bedroom was empty, though he was definitely in the right place. Various articles of clothing had been strewn over the bed and chairs, indicating its use as a dressing room for someone. But where was she?

The billowing satin curtains caught his attention. Across the room, the French doors leading to an adjoining balcony were open, and beyond them was a lone figure. He could only see her silhouette through the diaphanous veils, but he would know her presence anywhere. He willed his feet to move forward, counting every step. The curtains parted a moment later.

"Selphie."

Breath escaped her. Hyne, she knew that voice. She prayed to that voice. Whatever courage she had previously been building had swiftly been replaced by a shocked numbness.

__

It's not you, Selphie begged. _Please let it not be you…_

But when she turned to face the owner of the voice, it was him. Of course it was him. It would always be him. Their eyes met across the space of the balcony, and time seemed to stop. For a long moment, neither moved, too afraid that action would break the spell. Silence reigned again between the best friends.

But Irvine had never been more determined in his entire life. Eleven years had already been and gone like a day. One moment was all he needed. Never taking his eyes from hers, he took a step forward. Then another. Then another.

Selphie was paralyzed. Somewhere in her conscious, she knew he was walking toward her, and yet she made no move to meet him at a halfway point. She could run from him when love cheated her, but she couldn't go to him when love was all she was holding on to.

He stopped in front of her, still refusing to avert his gaze. Selphie looked up at him, her soul swimming in her eyes. For both of them, it was now or never. Irvine reached for her hand and found it warm… for once. She blinked once, feeling his touch penetrate her skin. Slowly, he raised her hand, bringing it toward him. Her eyes followed his action, a dazed expression on her lovely face.

Gently, her fingers met with his shirt and the rapid pulse of his heart vibrated against her palm. His other hand joined their clasped hands, crossing over his chest in an all too familiar movement. Selphie could almost feel the air around them releasing its tension, letting the emotions flood. 

Finally, he placed her hand against her own heart, releasing it from his warmth a moment later. Selphie finally remembered to breathe, her heart pounding wildly in her ears as her best friend smiled at her. It was a small, sad smile, but it was her undoing. Hand still clutched against her heart, she watched as he slowly turned and walked away from her.

The universe seemed to twist beneath her. The years of dreams and hopes of him telling her one simple little phrase had all been compressed into three simple gestures. She finally knew. The tears that came to her eyes were born from both joy and sadness. 

He disappeared through the door, never once looking back.

*************************************************

The look on her father's face told the story well enough. Selphie looked up at Irvine, her blue eyes shining. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and stood behind her, watching the staircase in earnest. She would be coming down any minute, and he would be walking out of her life forever.

Selphie could only vaguely feel Bianca's hand on her arm, leading her through the halls to the party room. Various family members and bridesmaids trailed happily behind her, but she was completely unaware of the reality around her. She loved him, and he loved her. And that was all she needed to know.

The guests hushed at her appearance at the top of the staircase and she looked out over the gathered crowd, her vision blurring with the tears still in her eyes. One step. Another. And another.

She saw him finally, backing slowly toward the open front doors, his hand clasped securingly in that of his daughter's. His eyes never left hers. Behind them, Selphie saw an older woman walk up and put her hand on Selphie's shoulder, guiding her back into a loose embrace.

__

Matron.

Gasping her breath, Selphie stopped, her feet coming to an abrupt halt on the staircase. She found herself trembling as if she were reeling back from a great precipice. She could lie to all the faceless guests in the room. She could lie to Heath and Bianca. She could even lie to Therise and say she was happy with her life, but she couldn't, she _wouldn't_ lie to the one woman she appreciated more than anyone else in her life. Matron looked gravely at her, her eyes betraying the motherly love and care they always had. 

And she wouldn't lie to the one she loved. Looking at Irvine, she felt she could never look away. The same longing mirrored in his eyes and the love she had always wanted from him shone through in all its glory.

Seconds ticked by. Silence permeated the air. The guests looked to each other in confusion, slightly muttering their questions to each other. The bride-to-be had paused on the staircase and was looking intensely at a man somewhere in the crowd. But who?

Heath's smile faded as he watched his fiancée's actions. A cold revelation came to him in a flash of illumination, soon replaced by sheer determination. He was in front of hundreds of employees and friends. He wouldn't let this go on.

Rinoa and Squall stood together, looking back and forth between Selphie and Irvine, not missing the confusion in the crowd. 

Little Selphie exhaled a long, deep breath and drew strength from Matron's hand on her shoulder. Her father's hand was still in hers.

Therise waited. Everyone waited. The pin still had not dropped.

Heath was first to break the spell. Stepping away from his group, he walked briskly through the crowd and mounted the staircase with a hard stride.

Selphie felt Bianca's hand drop from her arm, a sense of dread washing over her. Her attention had turned to her fiancé, and she watched helplessly as he reached her still form in seconds, his jaw set. An unknown fire burned in his eyes.

Without a word, he held out his hand.

Selphie swallowed, and when she didn't give him her hand, he grasped it himself in a strong hold. He turned and pulled her down the stairs after him. Selphie followed, her body refusing to control itself. With hopeless steps, she stumbled down the stairs after him.

It wasn't until he reached the center of the room that she realized everyone had parted in a neat circle around them. With one last breath, Heath pulled her in front of him, turning her around in a surprised circle. Selphie stared at him, her mouth open in confusion.

"… Heath?" she asked uncertainly.

The look in his eyes was etched forever in her memory. "You know, I always wanted to see that love in your eyes that I have in mine. Tonight, I've seen it, but it isn't for me." Heath laughed shortly, uncomically. A strained hush fell over her features. 

"You're crazy, Selphie…" Heath shook his head, his deep voice reverberating through the silent room. "You've always loved him. Only him. Ever since you've known love, understood love…" he paused, saying his words carefully. "You've loved only him. I don't know how I missed seeing it before."

Selphie closed her eyes, sniffling quietly. 

Heath looked her in the eye. "You were going to give all this up for me? Crazy." He swallowed, looking momentarily at Irvine across the room. "How can I marry someone who was never mine in the first place…"

Selphie bowed her head, silent cries making her breath tremble. 

"Irvine is your first love. And no one understands first love better than me," Heath smiled slightly at her, tilting his head. 

No, not in her wildest dreams she couldn't have imagined this. Selphie smiled through her sheepish surprise, momentarily glancing down at the floor. With measured steps, she approached him. "… Heath--"

"What's left to say?" he cut her off gently. A full second passed before they both broke into a nervous laugh. The reality dawned on them again as Selphie tried to find the right words. She couldn't.

"Go," Heath said, lifting a hand to her cheek. He meant every word. "… Go…"

She wasn't sure when she had turned around. Once again, the crowd parted to gaze at the subject of the discussion, easily being able to point out the one man they didn't recognize. Irvine Kinneas, no doubt. She wasn't even sure when she started walking. 

Matron gently guided Selphie away from her father to stand with the parting crowd. She followed without protest, her young eyes shining with hope. This moment was eight years old in her imagination, and it was finally coming true.

His feet refused to move. For the first time, she came to him, and she was more than ready to tell him the truth. She didn't stop until she was standing immediately in front of him, looking the far distance up to his eyes from her short stature. Irvine swallowed, finally taking a step forward.

It was all the encouragement she needed, and he must have known, because she stepped into the circle of his arms just as he enveloped her in a crushing embrace. 

A sweet applause filled the air as every guest sighed with relief. The room had momentarily been converted to a state of hanging tension and suspicion as to what would happen. Rinoa felt Squall's arm come around her shoulders, pulling her to his side in a celebrative squeeze. She smiled back at him before looking at Selphie and Matron. The latter had crouched to the little girl's level, holding her from behind in a firm embrace. They smiled at each other, and sent Rinoa a thumbs up. She returned it, laughing shortly.

Past the applause of the guests, the soft laughter from the woman in his arms, and even the reality in which he stood, he felt it. He had felt it all along. 

"… Just something?" Selphie whispered suddenly, pulling back to look in him in the eye.

Irvine couldn't hide his surprise and she laughed at him for it. Mind-reading had never been her strong point—that was his. Smiling, he cupped her cheek and kissed her soundly on the lips. 

"Just something."

****************************************


	28. Epilogue

Something Happens In My Heart - Epilogue

The sunlight was shining in long rays, fanning out from behind the white puffs of clouds in the sky. August winds had picked up and insistently tossed her long brown hair around her as she walked through the rows of headstones. The little hand clasped in hers served as her single guide. Behind them, Esthar seemed to fade in the distance, the sound of the wind drowning out city clamor. 

"It hasn't changed much," her little escort said suddenly, looking back over her shoulder.

"… No, why would it," Selphie agreed, steadily reading each name on the passing gravestones. A calm sadness washed over her as she let sink in exactly what she was being lead to see. Her last memory of Quistis only brought more sorrow. She could only remember the sapphire eyes of her deceased friend and how they had looked the day she left, not knowing it would be the last time she would see her.

__

Quistis Trepe Kinneas…

Her stepdaughter stopped when she reached the name, whisking Selphie out of her thoughts.

"Here it is," she voiced, dropping to her knees in front of her mother's grave. Selphie watched her in quiet observation before sitting down.

"Hyne…" she said softly, unable to find words. There it was, stone proof, literally, of Quistis' end. She never thought the day would come so soon. 

Selphie reached out and placed the bouquet of white flowers on her mother's grave, brushing away stray leaves and a few twigs that had fallen there. As vivacious as she had seemed before, it was replaced now by a calm and pensive little girl. Her mother had always been a serious subject. Even Selphie hesitated asking to visit the cemetery, but she knew it was something she had to do before she started her new life with a husband and daughter.

"You know, she was the strongest of us."

The eight-year-old turned her head at Selphie's contemplative voice.

"In Garden," she went on. "She was the best fighter I'd ever seen. It's almost unreal, knowing she's gone." Her voice trailed off.

Selphie nodded, leaning companionably in her stepmother's arm. "I wish I'd known her."

Selphie glanced down at the little head on her shoulder. "I wish you had too. Then you wouldn't have to settle with me for a mom, eh?" she tightened her hold with a laugh.

"… I wouldn't say 'settle,'" the little figure replied after a time. She paused a moment, glancing up at the sky. "Sometimes I think you were supposed to be my mom."

Selphie blinked. "What?"

The letter immediately entered her thoughts, and for the briefest of moments, she debated telling Selphie about it. Somehow, she felt she would be breaking a promise to her mother if she did. It was their little secret, and the letter had been written to her, for her, and only her. But she had let Rinoa and Squall read it—mostly because she needed their help finding Selphie.

The breeze picked up, as if answering her silent question. It was time for Selphie to know the truth. Quistis had been like a sister to her, and it would have been wrong to deny her the reason she was there at all.

The little girl sat up straighter. "Do you think it was a coincidence that I showed up at Camp Walden?"

Selphie shifted, curious. "…Was it?"

"No," came the answer. "I went to find you."

"… Why?"

Selphie nodded once to her mother's grave. "She wanted me to."

Selphie cleared a section of hair from her stepdaughter's forehead. "She did?"

"She said you and Dad were meant to be together," Selphie started, the words coming to her with ease. "And that it was her last request to see you together again."

Selphie blanched, staring at Quistis' grave. "… How did you…"

The little girl smiled, turning around. "I'll show when we get home," she promised. 

Selphie nodded slowly, still immensely curious. She laughed and planted a kiss atop her stepdaughter's head. "I love you, Squirt."

"I love you too, Mom."

***********************************************

**The Author's Rants on the Story**

Oh my god. It's over. It's really over. I can't quite believe it. Seems so… unreal. Hehe.

Well, this is the best part for us writers, isn't it? This isn't necessary at all in order to understand the fic, but just in case you're interested in seeing how this story came to existence. If you thought I had a plot hole somewhere, maybe you'll find the answers here.

First things first: I give all the credit for this fic to the director/writer/producer of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan Johar. He is the man, let me tell ya. I don't know how much any of you know about the Hindi film industry but you should check it out sometime, this movie particularly because it is Bollywood at its best. 

The first time I saw the movie, I was actually at a friend's house, and I got so caught up in it that I had to come back to borrow the copy. After a month of swooning over the dramatic plot and impeccable acting (Kajol rules!) my writer's intuition kicked in with a, Hey! I bet I could rewrite this into a Final Fantasy VIII story! Trying to find character parallels in two completely different genres was interesting to me.

CHARACTERS AND COMPLICATIONS

There was Rahul—the womanizer. He was the college stud in the movie, and so of course Irvine fit that role perfectly. Anjali, his best friend, the tomboy and overly hyper girl could be none other than Selphie. Tina, the high-society girl from London with a flair for fashion and sophistication, was closer to Quistis than anyone else. And I had my love triangle all set; Irvine had a best friend, and a romantic interest—who would he choose? It's a very universal plot line, if I do say so myself.

I started out from the very beginning telling people that this was going to be an Irvine/Selphie fic, and I didn't disappoint, now did I? It truly is, but it didn't mean I was just going to throw them together in puppy love from square one. I love complication as much as anyone else, and Quistis served that purpose very nicely. I felt like I HAD to keep reminding people of the main couple because I had so many reviews going,

"God, I hate Quistis and Irvine. When are you going to put him and Selphie together?"

and they were totally missing the point of the story. Granted, I didn't tell them that Quistis and Irvine would be together briefly, but that didn't mean they needed to hound me for not delivering Selphie and Irvine on a platter. I felt like the beautiful story Karan Johar had created was being shucked for the one romantic pairing that I obviously wasn't getting to fast enough.

Quistis has the most beautiful character in this story, in my opinion. She's not there to steal Irvine away from Selphie, or to separate two best friends and the love they could have had for each other. She's almost like a messenger, actually. That's how I saw Tina in the movie and that's how I tried to portray Quistis in the fic. She realized their love a little too late, and was compassionate enough to think about it on her death bed! And to send her own daughter out to reunite the two was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard of. 

And here people were, stomping over her left and right, hating on her because she got Irvine first, and made Selphie leave, and everything else they could think of. I interpret it like this—she was supposed to be with Irvine, even if it was only for a few years in order to introduce Little Selphie. She was there to open his heart to the person he really loved, and she did it in her own roundabout way. Quistis' character was something I was really proud of in this fic, and it really upset me that by intermission, most people were just brushing her off like, "Oh yeah, the first part was a nice little fling, now can we get on with the Irvine and Selphie action?"

I mean, depth much? Wouldn't it have been awful if I had just put Selphie and Irvine together in two chapters, saying, "Oh, they were best friends who suddenly woke up one day and realized they were in love!" and happily ever after. I felt like that's what some people were wanting me to do, HYNE DAMMIT!!!!!

Okay, my chair turned into a soapbox somewhere in the past five paragraphs. Sorry if I offended anyone. **I love all my readers and thank you a billion times over for reading and reviewing!!! **I just thought I'd explain some things about Quistis so maybe then she wouldn't have as many people hating her part in this fic.

I did have a few reviewers and emailers catch on to my drift (you know who you are), saying they loved Quistis' character and I thank them a billion times over, too. ^_^

Now, let's get on to the supporting characters in this story—there are many. The main one, Rinoa, is another role like Quistis. Let me tell ya straight up, I think Rinoa got excessively annoying in the game at times. As the heroine of FFVIII, she was just… _okay_, you know what I mean? So I like to bring her cheerfulness into the light with my stories. In SHIMH, she's really the best bud Little Selphie could ask for. An eight-year-old girl wouldn't be able to get everything done by herself, now would she? So she had to have some help, and Squall and Rinoa were like the dynamic duo from the past that could give her the right tips and things like that. And I succeeded a little more with Rinoa's character than I did Quistis, because I had people saying things like, "Hey, I actually like Rinoa in this story."

Thank you, thank you, _somebody_ got it!!

Lavinia and Thed are the other helping party, only they side with Selphie. It's like everybody had their own support group in this story. I like for everybody to have a friend or two, you know? Makes the world a happier place.

Little Selphie was a complete carbon copy from the Little Anjali in the movie. They had the same mindset, mannerisms, and of course, lines. I quoted so many pivotal scenes from the movie, it was unreal. And readers are supposed to like Little Selphie because she's so cute and spirited. But strangely enough, they never seem to mind the fact that she is, sigh, _Quistis and Irvine's_ daughter. Ever thought about that? Hehe.

Anya and Kaylo were another dynamic duo that readers were supposed to like. I think most people did, they just didn't really say anything because they weren't the main focus. There was just a whole network of people in this story, and I liked it. 

Heath. His name was Aman in the movie, and yeah, readers weren't supposed to like him, nice as he was. Just the fact that he was keeping Selphie and Irvine apart was enough for most people. He added more complication, and people were chewing me out less for that because by that point in the story, they understood that I was just that kind of author. Hehe. ^_^ But what did you expect? For Irvine to just walk back in Selphie's life and have everything be hunky dory? You ain't gettin' that with me, good friend.

And how about Matron for a special guest appearance? Squall made a breakthrough, heck yeah. I'd have to say that was unplanned, but as I was writing the last chapter, I felt I really needed her there at the party in order to kind of push Selphie in the right direction. She was a mother to all of them, and I knew Selphie wouldn't disappoint after seeing her again with eleven years to feel sorry about. I think it worked out all right.

SYMBOLISM AND REPEATED THEMES

Okay, here's the way my mind works. I love referring back to something in the story, because it makes the readers go, "Ohh…." Like they have this great epiphany and think, "Now I get it." I love that feeling when I'm reading a story, so of course I like to write it as well. I don't know how many repeated events and lines and themes you may have noticed in this story, but there's tons, and I'm revealing them all now, simply for better understanding. 

* The first chapter is a good place to start. Quistis is post-labor and in the hospital bed, talking to Irvine about naming their daughter Selphie. She's trying to get through his shell and uses the one line he pulled on her three years earlier, possibly the start of their relationship. 

"Want to be friends?"

And that was also the name of chapter five, well into flashback, when Irvine offered her the friendship bracelet a second time, and she accepted. This is straight from the movie, as many things in this fic are.

* Here's Rinoa's first shining moment. When she talked to Irvine in the midst of his shooting hoops in chapter three, she kept mentioning the need for a mother figure in his family, especially now that Selphie was eight years old. She used the same lines in chapter twenty-six when they sat on the dock, mainly because I was trying to emphasize a point. This is most definitely a love story between two best friends, but another big theme is family. Irvine wasn't the only one who needed Selphie, mainly because his daughter _had_ been without a mother all her life, and even someone like _Rinoa_, for crying out loud, was starting to lecture him about it.

* Chapter six is where Quistis and Irvine find common ground (no pun intended) at the church. Kait, the little girl Quistis was looking after, was a representation of Selphie, right down to the green eyes, brown hair, and yellow dress. When they went inside the church to use the bathroom, it was a foreshadow of Quistis and Irvine getting married. I had Kait run down the aisle first, just like a flower girl, because, if you recall, she was still holding her bundle of flowers she had just picked, and few petals fell off in her run.

Quistis also had flowers in her hand, and I made her walk up the aisle as if she were a bride. Irvine was even waiting at the first pew for her. And of course, you can't forget the "I do." 

Also, the parental reference started here. Irvine finding Quistis' parents for her started with the conversation with Kait in this chapter.

* Is it pretty obvious that basketball is my favorite sport? The movie was a plus because of that. ^_^ Irvine and Selphie seemed the type to play, so I worked it into their endless slew of inside jokes and funny memories. In chapter seven, their basketball game was followed by Irvine and Quistis' dance in The Evening Muse. The rematch was followed by Irvine and Selphie's dance under the gazebo. Did anybody notice? Basketball to dancing. Yeah, weird combo, I know.

* I always throw rain in when it's a dramatic moment in the story. Chapter twelve and twenty-four leading into twenty-five were the prime examples. 

* Chapter fourteen is a favorite for a lot of people, and I can see why. It's all straight from the movie, too—the train, the dialogue, the letter bleeding out of flashback and into the living room where Little Selphie is still reading. It was a nice transition in the movie and I tried to make it flow like that in the fic. After reading the letter, I think most people went, "So THAT'S what this story's about!"

And plus I think it's kinda pointless when people write *flashback* in their stories before they go into the flashback. Heck, let your readers be confused for a while, it does 'em good. Then when everything fits in the end, they can have one of those "Ohh…" moments. I don't like to dictate everything to readers at once, though that made a lot of you squirm with suspicion for weeks on end. Harr harr.

* "We live once, die once, and fall in love once"—straight from the movie. I just like the idea that Irvine falling in love once was falling for Selphie and not Quistis.

* Here's the supernatural kick to the story. It was Quistis who was speaking the little italicized one-liners that seemed like random narration. No, she's not a ghost, or a spirit, or looking down from heaven, or any other theological explanation. She just… is. The second half of the story needed her guidance because it all started with her anyway, so I imagined what she would be saying about the chapter's events. It's almost like she's that invisible force that drives a story.

* The charades game was another one of my favorite scenes to write. It's straight from the movie, but I thought it was hilarious the first time I saw it. The "I love you" was just genius, and Anya had her chance to be in the spotlight. Originally, I was going to have her tell Irvine the title and Little Selphie be the one to walk up there and help him out, buuuut… nah. And of course, it was the charades events that later came into play when Irvine went looking for Selphie in the upstairs rooms of Heath's mansion. This is exclusively from the movie. 

Side note: I've had a number of people telling me that I just have a way with words; as far as dialogue is concerned, anyway. I thank you guys for the compliment, and it's true, I did play up the love confessions and heartfelt statements a LOT more in this story than I ever have. My writing style in general changed very much with this fic. 

But I thought it would be a great twist if, when Irvine FINALLY told Selphie that he loved her, he did it without words. No fancy phrases, no lovey-dovey vows—just a little charades gestures. And that moment was light years better than when he poured out all the right words to Quistis in chapter thirteen, wasn't it? Actions really do speak louder than words.

* Selphie ran the first time because of a sick Solan. She ran the second time because of a sick Therise. But Irvine went after her that time. Ha!

* The epilogue. Possibly my favorite scene in the whole fic. Because you know, despite all the great romantic moments and funny quips and events, this last scene adds the great closure to the story. Everything has been resolved. Quistis' last request is fulfilled, and Irvine, Selphie, and Little Selphie have found each other and are never letting go. Yep, yep, I'm a sucker for happy endings.

* And last but certainly not least, let's also not forget the title. The movie repeated it countless times (in song and dialogue), but I think I only had reference to it once or twice... or three times. Anyhow, I thought it was the perfect title, and I wished it had been my own and not just the translation of the movie.

AND ONE LAST THING

You can only write what you know, correct? Well, I've never been in love (that probably won't happen for a while) but I hope I've made it seem like it's the best thing that can happen between a two people, because I really believe it is. Honestly, I'm so practical and sarcastic in real life that I initially doubted my ability to pull off such a romantic plot. 

But every now and then, people surprise you. I want to thank each and every one of you who has read and reviewed this fic and its agonizing twenty-eight chapters of beating around the bush. You inspired me to write this to the best of my ability, and I hope I didn't disappoint.

To the readers who found this story interesting, I hope you can find some of my upcoming works as good.

To the Quistis fans, I hope you know she is my favorite character and the true heroine of this story.

To the Irvine/Selphie fans, I hope I gave you a love story worth remembering.

Peace out,

__

Apple Pie 


End file.
